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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26195089">Promarinth</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotAFandomFan/pseuds/akaDG'>akaDG (NotAFandomFan)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Promare (2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Labyrinth References, M/M, Urban Fantasy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:40:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>104,057</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26195089</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotAFandomFan/pseuds/akaDG</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Thirty years ago, the half-Fae King of the Goblins began kidnapping humans, turning them into Burnish and unleashing magical fires across the world. Guided by the high wizard Kray, Galo trained his whole life to challenge the Goblin King's Labyrinth and free the prisoners--including members of his own foster family. Galo knew it would be a challenge... but he wasn't prepared for how much it would challenge his core ideals. And he certainly wasn't prepared for his worst enemy to become the home he couldn't live without.</p><p>This is an AU that merges the feel and elements of the 1986 cult classic movie Labyrinth with the characters and major plot points of Promare, as well as a healthy dash of modern/urban fantasy. Includes Lio as the Goblin King, Burning Rescue members as Galo's Labyrinth-bound foster family, and a whole lot of awakenings.</p><p>I get this question a lot so: You do NOT need to know anything about Labyrinth to enjoy this story! XD</p><p>1-2 new chapters every other day! Alternate day music preview posted on twitter (see link in author's note).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Burning Rescue Members &amp; Galo Thymos, Burning Rescue Members &amp; Lio Fotia, Gueira/Meis (Promare), Kray Foresight/Evil, Lio Fotia &amp; Gueira &amp; Meis, Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos, Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos &amp; Pizza, Lucia Fex &amp; Gueira &amp; Meis, Lucia Fex &amp; Heris Ardebit, Mad Burnish Members &amp; Galo Thymos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>85</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>132</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Promare Big Burn 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Fooled Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Wooo! Let's get a little corny intro music going! XD David Bowie!!! &lt;3 The lyrics are actually a good intro/mirror for the themes of this story, and most of the chapter titles will come from the these lines.</p><p>  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5-IbNHfETM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5-IbNHfETM</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Get the ambulances out of here!"</p>
<p>A brave doctor tried to bring order to chaos. Multicolored flames, the weapon of the Fae, were pouring out of hospital rooms at every level of the skyscraper behind him. Medical staff tried to load the sick and injured into transports as flare after flare smashed through the building, threatening to bring it down on all of them.</p>
<p>An EMT finished loading a final occupied gurney into a truck and ran to start the engine. Just as the motor turned over, a particularly blinding pillar of twisting flames exploded into the vehicle from below, hurling it straight up and then dropping it to slam into the ground. From the partially crushed interior, multiple screams of pain and panic could be heard as the devilish fire overtook every inch.</p>
<p>There was a gasp, and Galo almost paused the video, glancing over to the young woman who had made the sound. Her eyes were glued to the screen, however, showing it wasn't fear, but a horrified fascination that gripped her. So Galo let it play on.</p>
<p>It <em> was </em> a particularly gruesome scene from the Great World Burning thirty years ago, and not one Galo would have chosen to show the teens in the Advanced Rescue Tactics class he was TA-ing, except for one thing. Galo found himself leaning forward in his seat along with the mesmerized students as a form began to take shape through the smoke around the shattered emergency vehicle on screen.</p>
<p>Black as night, sharp as a razor edge, gleaming with a demonic neon glow, the hideous figure traced it's silent way among the people, unaffected by their suffering. </p>
<p>The Goblin King.</p>
<p>The first recorded sighting as he began his attack against humanity three decades ago. The world had never been the same since. This was something every aspiring Burning Rescue member should see to prepare for what they may face in the field.</p>
<p>The scene played on as the King advanced towards the hapless humans. His goal was clear when he laid massive claws along the edge of the toppled ambulance and tore it open in a single violent move. The cries from within turned from pain to terror as the fangs and horns of the gruesome Fae monarch peered down at them. He didn't even pause before ripping the patients, now thoroughly enveloped in rainbow flames, from their beds and handing them to two similarly daunting figures who had followed in his wake. He even took the driver.</p>
<p>Those people had never been seen again.</p>
<p>They had been taken to the Goblin King’s lair. A giant labyrinth of despair meant to trap anyone who entered. The land of the Burnish, those unfortunate humans consumed by the mystical Fae fire and enslaved by the King and his Mad Burnish elite. The last Fae kingdom in the world, located deep beneath the roots of Promepolis city. A journey there was a one-way trip.</p>
<p>No human returned from the Underground.</p>
<p>"Traaaaails of fiiiiire I always knew, they would caaaaarry me hoooome, they'd lead me to you!"</p>
<p>The energetic, cheerful tune jolted the entire classroom from their immersion. Twenty six pairs of eyes turned to him in disbelief. He gave them a sheepish grin as he pulled his belting phone out of his letterman jacket and headed for the door.</p>
<p>"Sorry, duty calls! Just finish the video and discuss among yourselves! Or class dismissed, whatever."</p>
<p>Twenty six students were out the door whooping about a free period before he even got halfway to it. So he bolted out after them as he answered the phone.</p>
<p>"Lucia, what's--"</p>
<p>"Mad Burnish attack, two blocks from you! Sending the coordinates, get your ass over here!"</p>
<p>Yes!!</p>
<p>Galo shot out of the school and jumped, skipping a whole flight of stairs as he flew as fast as his feet could take him.</p>
<p>As he rounded the first corner and pelted down the street between the huge blocks of towering buildings, he caught sight of the Fae fire. The flare was massive.</p>
<p>This might be it, this <em> might be it </em>, if only the Goblin King would show up… he was sighted in Promepolis more than anywhere else in the world, but Galo hasn't seen him directly in months.</p>
<p>And he needed to find him.</p>
<p>So he could kick his ass.</p>
<p>With a final burst, he reached the burning building just as Ignis and Lucia appeared on the horizon with the Mega Max Rescuemobile, followed by two more vehicles from the city's Burning Rescue forces. He halted in front of the highrise, panting and waiting for the two remaining members of his team to pull up with the Fire Fighting equipment. Scanning the flames pouring from various levels of the building, he looked for any signs to indicate that the Goblin King himself was present at this outbreak. The future of his family depended on it. Maybe even all of humanity, if he played his cards right.</p>
<p>But he was too late. The flares were already dying down, a sure sign that any Mad Burnish were long gone.</p>
<p>But the Goblin King <em> had </em> been here.</p>
<p>It still smelled like roses.</p>
<p>"I can't believe I saw the actual Goblin King and survived!" Galo heard one stunned onlooker exclaim to another. Then she caught sight of Galo. "Ohhhhh, I recognize you! You're Governor Foresight's protegé, right? The one who set the record for most rescues in his rookie year?"</p>
<p>The gathered crowd all began staring at Galo. His earlier scowl of disappointment disappeared and he beamed, swelling with pride as they connected him with his mentor. "That's me!” He struck an impressively dramatic pose as the world became his stage. “And I'm here with a burning soul to put out these wicked flames!" He pointed with an exaggerated flourish at the building and enjoyed the crowd's excited reactions.</p>
<p>Just the mention of Galo’s idol was enough to dispel his frustration at the Goblin King’s escape. He shook it off and sprang into action as the Rescuemobile pulled up. He may have missed another chance at the fearsome Fae, failed his family and Kray again, but he still had a job to do. Every life was precious. Worth saving. And every rescue gave hope not only to the one being saved, but to every troubled heart watching. </p>
<p>He had been taught these things from a young age through the example of the man he admired most. Kray Foresight, Governor of Promepolis and Grand Wizard of his own Order. Savior and protector of all who were preyed upon by the heartless Goblin King. </p>
<p>Like Galo had been.</p>
<p>As Galo quickly suited up in a standard BR mech suit, he reminded himself that what he knew as an insider of the Foresight Order was different from the crowd’s understanding.</p>
<p>They only knew the basics. The Fae had become little more than stories to humans until 30 years ago, when strange fire outbreaks began occurring around the world. Rumors of the Goblin King, who kidnapped people and started these fires, had been running rampant ever since. And that was the extent of most people's knowledge. The Fae fire and its Mad Burnish wielders were considered something of a natural disaster, a suddenly aggressive relic of a forgotten force.</p>
<p>But those on the frontlines of fighting the out of control blazes knew what was really going on, thanks to Kray.</p>
<p>After a long period of distancing, the Fae had finally left humanity and Earth entirely to dwell permanently in their own parallel world 30 years ago. But the Goblin King had stayed behind because he saw his chance to seize power over a now vulnerable human world, uncontested. He used the fire to claim and imprison humans and turned them into Goblins, also known as Burnish. He was building an army out of the very peoples he planned to conquer.</p>
<p>Anyone directly caught in his fire became his.</p>
<p>As Galo leapt into action scaling the building, putting out fires, and rescuing people, he felt the usual surge of gratitude.</p>
<p>The world had Kray Foresight. Wise, powerful, and endlessly compassionate towards his fellow humans, he had started the Order of Foresight to put out the fires, rescue victims, defeat the Goblin King, and save humanity.</p>
<p>Galo had reason to be personally grateful as well.</p>
<p>His parents hadn't survived a particularly nasty fire outbreak 14 years ago, but Kray had gotten there in time to rescue Galo. The Gov had given him a new home and family in Burning Rescue, the foster home / training school hybrid that allowed orphans like him to fight back against the injustices life had dealt.</p>
<p>Considering three of his closest foster siblings and teammates had been taken by the Mad Burnish in the last year, he knew he was failing to deserve this amazing gift. A new hole had been punched inside of Galo as first Remi, then Varys, and most recently Aina, had all been devoured by the hungry Fae flames and taken as Burnish slaves to the dreaded Underground.</p>
<p>He would do anything to get them back.</p>
<p>Even face the dark monster that terrorized the world. The same force that had taken his first family from him forever.</p>
<p>He wasn't going to let that happen again.</p>
<p>It took a solid hour to finish putting out the flames, make sure everyone was safe, and debrief with the other BR teams.</p>
<p>It was moments like these that he missed his stolen teammates the most.</p>
<p>“It’s better that we missed the King this time,” Lucia consoled as she helped him stow his mech. He sent his petite foster sister a slightly incredulous, questioning look. She got a particular kind of devious grin that signaled she was thinking about one of her special projects.</p>
<p>Lucia was one of the best--if not THE best--witch mechanics in the world. It was a rare specialty, combining human magic and technology, and Lucia used it exclusively on inventions to fight the Fae fires and the Goblin court. She was probably one of the best secret weapons they had--and definitely one of Galo’s best friends. She never called his interests or ideas crazy--or even if she did, she was the first to do additional research and figure out what was possible. Together, they had been completely immersed the past year in planning for a challenge of the Goblin King’s Labyrinth to get back the rest of their family. No one had successfully defeated the Fae monarch’s legendary puzzle, but no one had had a Lucia on their side. Or the old Faerie boon Galo had inherited from his grandfather.</p>
<p>Lucia’s grin widened as she announced, “The Matoi Tech… is ready for final testing!”</p>
<p>The ultimate Goblin-King-crushing, Labyrinth-busting, family-finding tool they had designed together! If it worked, all he'd need is a little practice with the right words and he'd be ready to confront the Goblin King and challenge his Labyrinth at the next attack... with confidence that he could actually <em> win </em>!</p>
<p>Galo couldn’t help matching her excitement and they did a little happy dance together that Remi would have teasingly mocked, Varys would have laughed at, and Aina would have reworked with choreography. Ignis simply raised an eyebrow and gave them the night off so they could work on their tests.</p>
<p>“I hear congratulations are in order for another job well done by Burning Rescue,” a strong but gentle voice declared.</p>
<p>Galo was eternally grateful that their dance had already concluded as he spun around and saw his hero, Kray Foresight himself, had arrived in a beautiful limo. Aina’s brilliant witch sister, Heris, followed in his wake. As usual, Galo spared a moment from his adoration of Kray to send a smile of solidarity to Aina’s biological sister. She never smiled back and rarely made eye contact. He wondered if she blamed him for her sister’s loss. If she would only meet his gaze, he would have been excited to tell her all about their plans and the Matoi Tech, and reassure her that her sister was going to be returned to her.</p>
<p>Kray shook Ignis’ and the other team captains’ hands. The crowd had grown even more excited at the Governor’s presence, so Galo tried to stand extra tall and proud as the impressive figure came over and clapped a hand on the junior Fire Fighter’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“You’ll get the Goblin King next time, Galo. Never give up. We’ll wipe the Fae threat from our world.”</p>
<p>Galo’s soul flames doubled at the fuel of Kray’s encouragement, and he pumped a fist into the air and declared loud enough for the whole crowd to hear, “You can count on me to take down that monster!”</p>
<p>Kray smiled even more.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>From high above, on the corner of the smouldering building, a small figure--no bigger than a cat and even more graceful--gazed down with burning gemstone eyes. Made of geometric shifting fire, the bright pink draconian creature seemed to glow more vividly, the fluctuations in its solid flames more chaotic as it stared at the wizard below. Then at the beaming Fire Fighter accepting praise from the leader of the city. The blue haired young man puffed up even more as a second large white-gloved hand was clapped on his other shoulder in affirmation and pride. The petite dragon tilted its head as it studied them. It huffed out a burst of flames in disgust.</p>
<p>In a flash, the sinewy creature took to the sky and vanished.</p>
<p>Galo wasn’t on that roof. But if he had been, he would have caught the hint of roses among the clearing smoke.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>This park was nice enough, for a human creation, the miniature maroon dragon thought as he flew through the branches of a tree and glanced around. Beside him glided a calm blue dragon, the one he simply considered his other half. They both noticed their target at the same time, an iridescent dragon like themselves, perched serenely on a branch and hidden from outside eyes by the foliage. Their beloved monarch.</p>
<p>The two approaching dragons landed on either side of their leader, who was currently a small version of his stunning pink dragon form, always mesmerizing with flickers of teal and orange and perfect poise. The dark red dragon tried to mimic the pose, but then gave a little snort and settled back into his more comfortable crouch. He was confident in his own ways. After all, no one was as graceful and impressive as Boss. And the red dragon didn’t feel he had to be. Boss saw to that. If there was anything he demonstrated best for his people, it was that they should each be exactly who they were. And he would support them.</p>
<p>Maybe because no one truly knew <em> him </em>.</p>
<p>No one even called him or his people the right thing. The high Fae--the red dragon had to resist the urge to spit on the ground at their memory--would have had his people call him King. And it’s true, he was technically royalty and he did have a kingdom. </p>
<p>The ignorant masses of humanity called him Goblin. </p>
<p>But to his people, he was their loved and respected Boss.</p>
<p>It didn’t escape most of them that a being of great power like him didn’t have to be so lenient, accepting, and protective of those bound to him. He didn’t have to care about their identity or individuality. But he did. Which was a very good thing, considering he ruled the last remaining Fae realm on Earth, full of all eclectic manner of half-Fae Mad Burnish and human changelings. Again, peoples the humans would mislabel as Goblins and the Fae had referred to as mutts. But they collectively called themselves the Burnish. Wielders of the Flame. Burning Life.</p>
<p>And the only thing standing between humanity and destruction.</p>
<p>Not that the hapless mortal idiots knew anything.</p>
<p>In fact, if they saw the dragons in the tree, they would start a commotion, probably chase them away.</p>
<p>The Mad Burnish didn't belong here. But they didn't belong anywhere, except the Underground home their leader had created. Neither fully Fae nor fully human, they had always sat on the outside and watched. Like they were now. The red dragon tilted it’s head as it stared at the person who had claimed Boss’ attention.</p>
<p>Apparently they were going to watch a young man who seemed like the worst of humanity. In under a minute, the red dragon could tell. <em> This </em> guy had clearly never had to hide anything in his life. Loud and brash, with an impenetrable confidence and self-righteous conviction. Even his blue hair was dumb. He was… he was practicing the words of a <em> binding </em>, of all things, with far more enthusiasm than nuance. As the dragon listened, he recognized the words and rolled his eyes. Oh great, another idiot who would waste the Boss’ precious time challenging the Labyrinth.</p>
<p>But the regal dragon beside him peered closer as the boisterous challenger paused. Got frustrated. Checked his notes. There was an edge of despondence, an undercurrent of desperation to get it right. He studied the notes so earnestly, as if more than his life depended on it.</p>
<p>Oh.</p>
<p>It was one of those.</p>
<p>The maroon dragon rested its chin unhappily on its front feet and watched the man… playact as if other people were there. People giving him direction, criticism, encouragement. He promised he’d never give up. He’d save them. His... “burning soul would never go out”? Shit, this was painful to watch.</p>
<p>The pink dragon narrowed its eyes, and the red one knew he felt a sting, too. It was impossible not to recognize love.</p>
<p><em>Who is that, Boss? </em> He curiously mind-spoke.</p>
<p>He received silence at first, before an elegant and clear mental voice answered.</p>
<p>
  <em> Kray’s champion. </em>
</p>
<p>The name was enough to send a flame of fury through the red dragon, sparks beginning to leap from between clenched teeth as he glared at the human with loathing. The blue dragon’s tail reached behind and wound around his in a calming caress, allowing him to focus again.</p>
<p>But as he listened to the words being practiced, he couldn’t help asking, <em> Is he stupid? </em></p>
<p><em> He is stupid </em>, the blue dragon confirmed.</p>
<p>This idiot was including a phrase that would expose him completely to every danger he would face in the Labyrinth. The red dragon’s disdain grew.</p>
<p>Of course, that was just like the monster Kray--to underestimate the Fae so much he didn't even care to get the details right to protect his favorite.</p>
<p>Their Boss must have recognized the same thing, and as usual, knew how to fix it.</p>
<p>
  <em> Guiera. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Yeah.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Meis. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Yes. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> Go. </em>
</p>
<p>In energetic symmetry, they launched off the branch, shifting into an invisible glamour to hide themselves from human eyes as they raced to the bumbling champion below. Boss articulated the words he wanted them to use through their mind connection, and they shared a mental grin--felt if not seen through their empathic bond.</p>
<p>Snickering, Guiera dove for the human and ran up his spine with electric sparks, the static a minor flexing of his lightning powers. Just enough to startle the champion and loosen his fingers. Meis was already swooping around to the front and in a micro burst of wind, tugged the papers from the clumsy human hands and lifted them high into the air.</p>
<p>The man cried out in dismay and began running around in the direction Meis carried the papers, first one way, then another, making Gueira laugh in delight.</p>
<p>He joined Meis and with a quick little charm, changed what was written on the paper. He had no doubt this dolt wouldn’t even know the difference. Then Meis released the pages, let them scatter as they fell. Watched the stupid man run around collecting them. Gueira suddenly was looking forward to having this one to play with in the Labyrinth. Normally they held back, simply provided boring guardrails until the challenger lost. But he didn’t think they would have to show restraint if this was Kray’s champion. Harassment would be the least they could do.</p>
<p>He glanced over to Boss’ tree, hoping to see approval for a job well done.</p>
<p>But the pink dragon was already gone. Red and Blue wasted no time in following.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>“Hold still!”</p>
<p>“How much longer? There were two outbreaks in the city today! It’s a high flare day, I want to be ready for the next one. He’s going to be there, I can feel it!”</p>
<p>“You’re going to be feeling something very different if you don’t let me finish this spell in peace! It’s difficult enough working with your boon’s Fae magic, but tying something to your soul is tricky delicate work.” Lucia looked up from where she was carefully weaving her fingers over his chest, hands dancing with invisible forces that Galo could occasionally feel tugging something inside him. Her look was sharp with warning, and Galo felt a little badly for distracting her from what he knew was incredibly skilled work. He couldn’t stop his leg from jiggling, though. With a roll of her eyes, Lucia returned her concentration to her task, leaning forward towards Galo as they sat on a bench in the Burning Rescue station’s locker room.</p>
<p>They had worked through the night testing the Matoi Tech, and it was really, truly, <em> finally </em> ready. Galo had already given Lucia a million hugs and fist bumps and adulations, and they had probably had more to drink in celebration than was exactly proper, considering they were on shift today. But this tech was a masterwork of ingenuity and love, and Galo was so excited, he was ready to (impossibly) dig his way to the Underground if the Goblin King didn’t show up <em> today </em>.</p>
<p>The final step was embedding it with his Faerie boon, a powerful, undeniable-favor-granting wish spell that only one of the high Fae had been capable of gifting. And according to Galo’s grandfather when he passed it down to him--apparently it had been in the family for awhile, something to do with destiny and time and souls connecting, blah blah blah--this boon had been given by the Faerie Queen herself, most powerful of their kind and ruler of all the Courts. His family had guarded it in their bloodline ever since, treasuring it while also wary of trusting its potential. Now that the Fae were gone, it had become even more precious.</p>
<p>It was one of the reasons Kray had chosen him to face their ultimate enemy. Galo had a wild card, a work around if things went from bad to impossible. He was the only one who could break the rules of the Labyrinth… a single time. Since the Goblin King was so dishonest and certainly wouldn’t play fair, it was ridiculous to think any mortal would be capable of beating his maze and defeating him in his own territory. Any mortal without a boon up their proverbial sleeve, that is.</p>
<p>Galo was even more optimistic, though--no mortal had a Lucia or Matoi Tech or a soul that burned without fail, like he did. He probably wouldn’t even have to use the boon!</p>
<p>Galo grinned at the idea of beating that sneaky, thieving, heartless Goblin King with nothing but direct and honest methods. Showing he had the moral high ground as well as the superior capabilities. And hopefully, with all the people he’d be rescuing from the Labyrinth as he won, he’d have an appreciative audience.</p>
<p>Lucia had raised an eyebrow at his random grin, but her hands finally slowed and then stilled, and he could tell she was chanting something in her mind as she closed her eyes and brought them together. She was so good, she didn’t even need to speak aloud. As her palms met, Galo felt something ponderous shift through him, like a wave of sound so deep it couldn’t be heard, only felt.</p>
<p>Then Lucia’s eyes flashed open, and her grin matched his. The current of excitement that had been humming between them got turned up to max power as they both jumped up and Lucia cried, “Try it, try it! Will it to you, and it should come!”</p>
<p>Galo took a deep breath and faced the Matoi Tech where it leaned against his locker. It was taller than him and laced with Lucia’s spells. It held a full suit of multi-purpose steel armor folded at the top of a dual-purpose long staff, with a cold iron sword on one end and a gun on the other. Concentrating, he held out his hand. With just a bare thought, the convertible staff smacked into his palm. He sent Lucia a look of triumph, but she just crossed her arms with a raised brow, as if she had expected nothing less. Her blasé did nothing to dampen his enthusiasm, though, and he gave the Matoi a test swing--it had just the right amount of heft to make it easy to wield. He knew it was much heavier than he should have been able to lift with one hand, and yet with the magic in place, he managed it with almost no effort.</p>
<p>It was perfect.</p>
<p>The Matoi Tech was armor, weapon, and finder tool all in one.</p>
<p>Lucia was sister, friend, and prodigy all in one.</p>
<p>“Have I told you today how brilliant you are?”</p>
<p>She hopped up on the bench and leaned an arm across his shoulder with a smirk. “There’s a difference between saying it, and saying it <em> enough </em>.”</p>
<p>He slung his arm around her, feeling a gratitude he didn’t think he’d be able to express. Instead he channeled his excitement into passion for what they were both working so hard for. </p>
<p>“I’ll find them, Lucia. I’ll bring our family home,” he promised with intense sincerity.</p>
<p>Lucia rarely showed vulnerable emotions, so it was meaningful when her face sobered and she let a hint of their shared pain reflect in her eyes as she said quietly, “I know you will. And you know that means <em> you </em>coming back, too, right?”</p>
<p>Galo just laughed at that. Lucia was so cute.</p>
<p>“You know nothing can stop me, Little Spark!”</p>
<p>Lucia rolled her eyes. “I know <em> you </em> think so, that’s why I’m saying it, Big Dork! Now put that away.”</p>
<p>Smile never faltering, Galo paired a thought with a simple push of will and the Matoi disappeared from his hand, absorbed into the boon spell he carried.</p>
<p>In the same instant, the station’s outbreak alarm went off.</p>
<p>“Never mind!!” Lucia roared as they both jumped up and down in excitement. “We’re gonna give this baby a real test!”</p>
<p>Less than 3 minutes later they were on the scene of one of the largest Fae fire attacks Galo had seen in years. Almost the entire Foresight Pharmaceuticals building was ablaze, as if the flames couldn’t wait to swallow the whole thing.</p>
<p>Even if Galo hadn’t already been on soul fire to seek the Goblin King and test the Matoi, seeing that Kray had already arrived sent his excitement and determination up to an 11. But the wizard leader usually only showed up if his impressive powers were needed to quell the severest Mad Burnish attacks. An effort that would put him out of commission for at least a couple of days as he recharged and recovered. His powers should be a last resort.</p>
<p>“Gov!” Galo called to him from the Rescuemobile. “You can count on me! I’ve got everything ready!”</p>
<p>Kray studied him seriously, eyes just peaking open, then gave a firm nod. “He’s here, Galo. Make the challenge.”</p>
<p>Galo knew from his careful studies that the Goblin King preferred a lofty perch, overseeing the destruction he wrought. So with a quick explanation to his team, he prepared to get in his launch pod with his standard mech so he could scale the building.</p>
<p>Ignis gave him a stern look. “Play it smart. Don’t barrel head-on into everything. Don’t underestimate the Mad Burnish Boss, he’s been doing this a long time.”</p>
<p>Galo dismissed the warning with a laugh. “Well, <em> I’ve </em> been training my <em> whole life </em> and learned all the important stuff from Kray Foresight himself! I’m gonna take that pyromaniac down before he even knows what hit him!”</p>
<p>He leapt up beside his mech suit, but Lucia impatiently intercepted him, a hand on his chest.</p>
<p>“You’ve got the Matoi Tech, we don’t need the mech, it’s too slow! Let’s go!” And before he could brace himself, she had grabbed him by the jacket and used her magic to launch them shooting towards the roof.</p>
<p>“Luciiiiiaaaaaa,” he yelled against the pull of inertia they were defying in their ascent, trying not to cough as they blasted through layers of smoke and snaps of Burnish lightning. She always pretended to be more rational, but his crazy sister was every bit as reckless in her passions as he was. “You should stay below!”</p>
<p>Galo didn’t want to hold back and he didn’t want to have to worry about her coming to harm. Lucia seemed to know what he was thinking, because she cast him a look of disdain and exasperated affection.</p>
<p>“I can take care of myself better than anyone,” she reminded him. “I can take care of <em> you </em> better than anyone, too. And it’s just us now.”</p>
<p>Despite the reminder of their losses, Galo held fast to his courage at her words, and nodded. “We gotta have each others’ backs.”</p>
<p>Lucia grinned and nodded, and with a final burst of speed, they landed in the thick smoke covering the roof. Yes! Despite the choking ash, the scent of roses was still strong. Lucia set a temporary shield around them, and with a flash in her eyes said, “Fire it up!!”</p>
<p>Galo couldn’t help a burst of laughter as, with a nudge of will, the Matoi appeared once more in his hand. It was so freaking awesooooooome!!!</p>
<p>With another thought, its fan function turned on, and he waved it in the air. It dispelled the smoke beautifully. Just as he was sharing a victory fist bump with Lucia, the smoke cleared enough to reveal their real target.</p>
<p>There, on an elevated section of the building stood the Goblin King, over seven feet of menacing edges, every claw, fang, and bodyline supernaturally sharp. And his two top Generals with their leering grins, one with imposing bulk and the other with insect-like raptorials.</p>
<p>Fury, determination, and a pent up need to <em> act </em> roared through Galo in an instant. Perfect. He’d conquer not only the head honcho, but his two top brass.</p>
<p>“If you can get them with iron, I’ll be able to hold them!” Lucia called over the crackling flames and wind as she darted to the side to give him room.</p>
<p>Cold iron was by far the strongest deterrent they had against anything Fae, or even half-Fae, like the Mad Burnish. It naturally weakened them, ate away at their essence, body and soul. It was why both the blade weapon and ammunition in his Matoi Tech were made entirely of the pure metal and a cooling agent to make sure they didn’t turn it into hot iron, which was much less effective.</p>
<p>In a sight that Galo secretly never got tired of seeing no matter how much footage he’d studied, the two Mad Burnish Generals summoned their rides. He couldn’t really call them mechanical, since they were technically made of solid Fae fire and were therefore entirely magical. But they rumbled and moved like the real vehicles with a rocket powered boost. The first time Galo had seen them, he had wondered why they would imitate something so human. He could only conclude it was yet another tactic to intimidate, emulating the biker gangs that had unnerved decent citizens of yore.</p>
<p>The arrogant King simply made himself a throne. Sat with his legs braced apart and cheek on his fist. Like everyone was there for his entertainment. And currently they were boring him.</p>
<p>Oh, Galo was going to take these pawns down <em> so fast </em> , he’d <em> make </em> the King sit up and take notice. And then he’d show the King who was boss.</p>
<p>Galo grinned up at the three and slammed his staff into the ground, yelling a challenge.</p>
<p>“A little burn never scared a Fire Fighter! You’ll find me dead before letting you firebugs loose to steal more people! You fireball bastards!”</p>
<p>The Generals replied by launching themselves down at him in a roar of engines and flame. Galo didn’t even have to look to know Lucia had raised an invisible bubble of a shield around him, giving him a moment to take the Matoi Tech to the next level and <em> really </em> make an impression. </p>
<p>The Generals smashed into the shield, the recoil throwing them back. They began circling, trailing treadmarks of colored flame. They slammed into the shield again and again, testing it, sending shockwaves through the spell.</p>
<p>Lucia narrowed her eyes. “Launch it, Galo.”</p>
<p>Galo held the staff aloft. “Matoi Tech, on!”</p>
<p>The steel armor detached and in a matter of seconds, Galo’s legs, arms, and torso were encased in perfectly fitting steel armor, resistant to any Fae magic. A helmet with comms capability settled snugly on his head.</p>
<p>“Though the fire is gone, the heart is tempered,” Galo declared, holding his staff in a ready position. “Prepare for a taste of Lucia and Galo’s Matoi Tech Justice!! I’ll put you out with my burning soul!”</p>
<p>Lucia raised her hand and began an illusion projection spell for the introduction they had prepared. A colorful display accompanied Galo’s vocal explanation.</p>
<p>“Be amazed! Matoi embodies the heritage of a Far East island’s firefighter!” Galo yelled as the Goblin Generals paused and stared. He and Lucia had worked so hard on the concept, they wanted to make sure their enemies understood what they were going to beat them with. So they could appropriately appreciate their defeat. “It symbolizes the spirit of the men who fought fire with their bare hands. I won’t let you do what you want any longer, firebug bastards!”</p>
<p>The bulkier General shot fire at the shield in response. Lucia dropped it as Galo ran forward and jumped on the blaze, able to run on the fire itself with his steel boots.</p>
<p>The General gave a start of surprise as Galo jumped clean over him and attacked from behind.</p>
<p>Galo shot cold iron bullets at each of them, the impact sending cracks through their carapaces and making them hiss in fury as the iron ate away at them.</p>
<p>The thousands of hours Galo had put into combat training and studying his enemy served him well, as within a handful of moves, he had used his iron blade to smash through the Generals’ tires and shatter the vehicles completely. Flung from their rides, cracks continuing to spread through their bodies, they actually paused, seemingly surprised by his capable attack. It was all the opening Lucia needed to complete her containment spell. It took most of her sustained concentration, but she surrounded the two in a bubble that didn’t break despite the vicious blows of their fists and sharp appendages.</p>
<p>Galo turned with a triumphant grin and pointed his sword at the Goblin King on high.</p>
<p>“Come down, <em> your majesty </em> ! Get off your high horse and fight me! One-on-one! Unless you’re <em> afraid </em> to have me challenge your Labyrinth. Don’t commit the crime if you can’t give me the time!”</p>
<p>Lucia spared Galo a deadpan look, “Galo, that’s not how-- ugh, nevermind.”</p>
<p>The taunt seemed to work, as the King rose, and with a confident command of the fire, hovered his way casually down, constructing the coolest bike Galo had ever seen. You’d have to be a really arrogant bastard to make your handlebars come to <em> you </em> like that.</p>
<p>Galo realized gaping in admiration wasn’t the best way to prepare for an attack a split second before the bike’s back tire slammed into his face.</p>
<p>“Galo!” Lucia cried as he almost flew off the edge of the building. “Pay attention, dammit!”</p>
<p>“Coward!” Galo yelled at the King, jumping back into a fighting form. “Attacking me when I was striking a pose!”</p>
<p>“Only an idiot poses while Fire Fighting!” Ignis yelled into his comms.</p>
<p>In a mocking response to Galo’s objection, the King began making donuts as if waiting in boredom.</p>
<p>“Galo, don’t get too excited. Stay calm,” Lucia instructed.</p>
<p>“I’m always calm!” But when the King crooked a finger, sarcastically gesturing for him to attack when ready, Galo saw red. “Hey! Are you messing with me?” How arrogant could one guy be?!</p>
<p>Showering the King with a blast of bullets seemed to do almost nothing as he charged Galo with his bike and sent them both flying off the building.</p>
<p>But Galo really had been training for this extensively. As they clashed their way from one skyrise to another, he managed to not only counter the King’s moves, but work them back to their original battleground atop the burning building and fling him off his bike.</p>
<p>They landed on the roof, and after the King shot off a flurry of arrows that Galo was able to deflect, the Fae paused for a brief moment, studying his challenger.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I know you!” Galo crowed. “I’ve studied all your moves and can see right through you. Even your fighting style reveals your deceitful cruelty, but it’s no match for my burning soul of justice!”</p>
<p>The dark figure’s light seemed to crackle with additional intensity. He immediately summoned a sword of solid fire and began attacking more boldly and viciously than Galo had ever seen. It just made Galo more determined. When the Goblin King landed a particularly brutal stroke that threw him to the other side of the roof, Galo simply leapt back up and called back to him.</p>
<p>“I’m not going to let you kidnap any more people!”</p>
<p>He was stunned when the King replied in a voice that startled Galo with its smooth depth. The Goblin King <em> never </em> spoke.</p>
<p>“We take only the burnt.”</p>
<p>As if that made them disposable!? As if he weren’t the one burning them in the first place! Galo glared and began advancing to match the King’s slow pace towards him.</p>
<p>“What so great about burning people?! Breaking apart families and homes?! All for an army to take what isn’t yours!”</p>
<p>“We have no choice. We take who we must, those who become Burnish. The flames are part of us. We Burnish must burn to live. We do not belong in this world.”</p>
<p>Galo paused. That made it sound like the Goblin King was trying to avoid their world rather than conquer it.</p>
<p>“Don’t listen to his lies, Galo!” Kray’s usually smooth voice sounded a bit scratchy over the comms in his helmet. His heart sped up as he realized his mentor was watching and listening to their fight.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, Gov, I won’t believe their lies!”</p>
<p>With a burst of speed that barely allowed time for Galo to raise his blade, the King smashed into him, his fire sword spitting angry flaming sparks as it clashed with cold iron.</p>
<p>“You call <em> us </em> liars?” the smooth voice had turned almost to a hiss.</p>
<p>“Yeah. And your flames are a nuisance! I’ll put them out with my burning soul.”</p>
<p>“I should know better than to speak truth to a callous fool. You can’t understand the Burnish.”</p>
<p>Galo glowered into that hideous grimace of a face now inches from his own. “The <em> only </em> thing that should <em> burn </em> is your soul.”</p>
<p>“And you think you can accomplish such a thing?” The King mocked with a cutting edge of humor in the tone.</p>
<p>Galo blinked. He had meant the words as a life philosophy, but he realized they <em> could </em> be taken as a threat to send someone to hell.</p>
<p>“Don’t <em> talk </em> to the Goblins!” Kray almost-yelled, and Galo immediately winced as he realized he was indeed going against his teacher’s lessons. It had simply been instinctual to try to communicate.</p>
<p>“Sorry, Gov,” Galo murmured back. The growl he heard through the comms must have been some kind of static.</p>
<p>But neither the Goblin King nor Kray’s disappointment in him mattered in the next moment as his one remaining sibling suddenly screamed in pain.</p>
<p>Ignoring the present danger of his opponent’s blade, Galo’s gaze snapped to Lucia. A searing burst of Fae fire had shot straight up through the building and instantly swallowed her in a geyser of pink and yellow flames. Her containment spell had vanished and the Goblin Generals stood free.</p>
<p>Galo immediately bolted to her, flinging his sword backward at the King in hopes of slowing his pursuit. He ignored the Goblins and the intense heat as he drew closer, crying out in wordless distress as he heard her voice tear with agony.</p>
<p>“Stop!” he begged over his shoulder to the Goblin King, all bravado forgotten as he faced the loss of his last sister-friend.</p>
<p>The Goblin King had paused, as if this whole thing was an unanticipated development. He gestured to his two Generals.</p>
<p>Galo shoved his arm into the fire and roared with a pain that he disregarded in order to reach her hand. He could feel the fire eating away, melting his skin. Their eyes met in shared fear and pain but Galo <em> wouldn’t let go </em> this time.</p>
<p>Except the Goblin King’s hand was suddenly on his shoulder and yanking him back from the fire, breaking his hold. When he tried to pull free, a hard arm wound around his shoulder and no matter how he struggled, he couldn’t break from the grip. The two other Goblins arrived beside Lucia. They reached into the blaze and took hold of her arms.</p>
<p>As soon as they grabbed hold, she stopped screaming, pain leaving her expression. But even as they pulled her free, strands of the fire followed and continued probing her skin, seeking access, sinking in. Galo saw its light travel through her, catching in her eyes, setting them aglow in that unsettling Burnish way. Her hair released its shape and unwound with sparks of lightning. She was becoming a Goblin before his very eyes.</p>
<p>“Let her go!” Galo’s demand came out as more of a plea.</p>
<p>“If we do she will suffer,” the King uttered quietly by his ear. Galo didn’t understand what he heard in that subdued voice, but he was <em> certain </em> it couldn’t be regret.</p>
<p>“You can’t have her! You can’t have Lucia, too! I challenge you!”</p>
<p>"You must defeat me first," the King said, waving his free hand to his Generals. </p>
<p>They vanished into thin air, still carrying a dazed and transforming Lucia.</p>
<p>Galo roared in fury and struggled, fingers scrabbling uselessly at the black arm holding him. Remembering his Matoi, he summoned it back to his unburnt hand. The Goblin King dropped him in surprise and backed up a few steps. </p>
<p>Galo twirled around and lunged at the monster in front of him, swinging his iron blade with all his strength, a resounding clang sounding as he struck the unsightly Goblin face.</p>
<p>The face broke in half. And revealed that it wasn’t a face at all--it was a mask.</p>
<p>Galo didn't know why it surprised him when he got a glimpse of a young face so beautiful it was beyond human. The scent of roses intensified.</p>
<p>Of course. The Goblins <em> were </em> Fae creatures. The Fae had been legendary for their alluring appearances. But Galo was stunned nonetheless. He had stared at the Goblin King's gruesome mask for so many years, the reality of a person underneath it was like discovering the vicious fire itself was alive. And this being wasn’t just any person. Even with only half a face, this was a paragon of loveliness lit by an inner light. A soul definitely already ablaze.</p>
<p>Just… just like the Fae to lie with their very faces! Conceal their hideous characters beneath a breathtaking guise. With… with another hideous mask on top of that. They were so two faced they were three faced!!</p>
<p>Galo tried to pull his eyes away. He wouldn't be fooled.</p>
<p>But his break in concentration cost him, as the now extremely irate Goblin King attacked without holding back. Once piece of Galo’s Matoi armor was sliced off after another, flung aside as the Fae monarch advanced with ruthless precision, surgically removing Galo’s protection.</p>
<p>“Get out of my way or die. We Burnish don’t kill without reason. Don’t give me one.”</p>
<p>And then Galo had no more Matoi Tech, no more Lucia, and no more roof to back up on.</p>
<p>“You have nothing to protect yourself with. You’re naked.” The Goblin King leveled the end of his sword at Galo’s face.</p>
<p>But the threat only made Galo’s soul burn hotter.</p>
<p>“Don’t act so big, you firebug bastard! I’ll… always have my family with me!”</p>
<p>Just because the armor and blade had been removed, didn’t mean they didn’t still respond to his soul call.</p>
<p>And Lucia wasn’t the only sibling who had equipped Galo for this mission.</p>
<p>Remi had taught him everything about marksmanship. With a tug of thought, Galo raised his sword magically from behind the Goblin King and activated the firing mechanism that shot rounds of iron bullets from the end. The King raised his sword to cover his back, but it shattered under the barrage of cold iron.</p>
<p>He leapt gracefully upwards to avoid the final bullets, but Galo had learned from Aina, too. Always cover the air. He had sent part of his armor above and had no trouble emphatically smacking the Fae back down. </p>
<p>He summoned all the armor to follow and surround the now disarmed Goblin, and released his final move, a Varys specialty. Various segments of the armor sank their edges into the solid fire and wedged the Goblin King’s protective outer layer apart until it shattered and the Matoi armor clenched down around him.</p>
<p>The King hissed at the touch of steel and quickly pushed back with a layer of fire to keep it from touching his skin. But he was locked in, immobilized with the steel eating away at the flames as fast as he could generate them.</p>
<p>He was… smaller than Galo, apparently, underneath his black armor. It actually looked a little funny to see his furious (still stunning) face sticking out of the Galo-sized Matoi bodysuit.</p>
<p>Galo strode up to the captured King. He stared into those simmering eyes, noting their purple and gold hue, and casually took the helmet back, placing it on his own head, once more able to hear the comms.</p>
<p>“One Goblin King, all tied up with a bow,” he boasted to the cheers of the Burning Rescue teams below.</p>
<p>Said captive monarch simply continued staring unnaturally, never flinching or blinking.</p>
<p>“Are you in awe now? I didn't get naked for fun!” Galo declared, shoving his face in the King’s. Totally because he wanted to show him who was boss, not because he wanted to examine its perfection more closely.</p>
<p>“It didn’t cross my mind,” the King deadpanned with just a hint of disgust. “You want to challenge my Labyrinth?” he questioned without emotion, only the glare in his eyes revealing that he was even capable of feeling anything.</p>
<p>Galo backed up. Pushed the adrenalin-blunted pain in his arm to a remote corner of his mind. Summoned the Matoi blade to his good hand. Took a deep breath. And struck a dramatic pose. Called up the words he’d practiced a thousand times in the past day, adding one more name.</p>
<p>This was it. Finally.</p>
<p>“I bind you to your ancient promise, Goblin King! You have taken what is mine, Aina Ardebit, Remi Puguna, Varys Truss, and Lucia Fex. I challenge your Labyrinth to reclaim them and gain my victor’s rights! Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I will fight my way to the castle beyond the Goblin city in the center of your Labyrinth. For my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great. You have full power over me!” Then Galo got very close again and grinned. For good measure he added, “Galo Thymos!”</p>
<p>Yes! He’d <em> nailed </em> it!</p>
<p>“What?!” Kray was definitely yelling this time.</p>
<p>A trickle of doubt disturbed Galo’s confidence at Kray’s reaction. But he knew those were the right words…</p>
<p>The King didn’t quite smile, but a definite gleam of satisfaction filled his gaze.</p>
<p>The doubt turned into a river.</p>
<p>“Lio Fotia,” the King said calmly with the slightest incline of his head, as if <em> he </em> had won.</p>
<p>The doubt was a damn tsunami now.</p>
<p>“No! Those were the wrong words!” Kray’s voice carried over all the others on his comms.</p>
<p>It was a certainty. Even without Kray’s confirmation, Galo would have known he had screwed up somewhere. No Fae gave you their name for nothing, it was too powerful.</p>
<p>Galo was almost blinded by the intense flare that exploded from the Fae ruler, easily breaking apart the Matoi armor that had bound him. With a desperate pull of will, Galo recalled the full suit and helmet to resume its original form around his blade.</p>
<p>The King kept a mantle of flames swirling around himself as he hovered a couple feet off the ground, staring coldly at Galo. He swooped down and grabbed Galo’s wrist with fingers so hot, they should have burned--but didn’t. At the same moment, Kray landed on the roof with a thud, glaring with eyes that burned Galo from a distance. The King wasted no time yanking Galo around so his arm was pinned behind him, between their bodies. Another surprisingly strong but slender arm crossed over his shoulders as the lord of the Labyrinth held him tightly and stared Kray down over Galo’s shoulder. Galo gasped as his feet left the roof and they were both hovering.</p>
<p>“What’s said is said. He's mine now!” the Goblin King cried in ferocious triumph that did not bode well for Galo.</p>
<p>The last thing Galo saw before teal fire surrounded him was Kray’s face full of impotent rage.</p>
<p><br/>

</p>
<p>Artwork: Kuka <a href="https://twitter.com/Tante_Kuka"><span>@Tante_Kuka</span></a></p>
<p>*****</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter’s illustration brought to you by the incredibly skilled Kuka! <a href="https://twitter.com/Tante_Kuka">@Tante_Kuka</a></p><p>Quetz (Beta Reader <a href="https://twitter.com/Quetzacotlchu">@quetzacotlchu</a>): Hope you all enjoy reading as much as I did betaing for this!</p><p>Aura (Beta Reader <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/auragemi">@AuraGemi</a>): <i>rubs hands together</i> Hoo boy! Buckle up kids, the ride only gets wilder from here on!</p><p>akaDG (Author):</p><p>We’re going to be posting at least one chapter every other day. On the inbetween days, there will be a music preview post here <a href="https://twitter.com/akadoreengreene">@akadoreengreene</a>. Other notes and commentary will be there as well. :)</p><p>I first saw Labyrinth when I was 6 years old at a slumber party. XD Just remember loving it. Watching it years later, wow, David Bowie is so dang charismatic! <i>Heeeeearts</i></p><p>And it’s still quirky and atmospheric and WEIRD, I still love it. Also discovered the whole archive of Girls Next Door comics by <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/pika-la-cynique/gallery/772068/girls-next-door">Pika-la-cynique over on Deviant Art</a> and wooooow, what a fun read if you have context for what was popular in the 2000’s mixed with 80’s discovery/nostalgia. Haha, it’s literally Sara from Labyrinth and Christine from Phantom of the Opera as college roommates, discovering they have weird guy issues. Pika manages to loop in every major entertainment property of the time, from Pirates of the Carribean to Good Omens. It’s also an incredible story and art journey to follow: <a href="https://girlsnextdoorguide.weebly.com/archive.html">https://girlsnextdoorguide.weebly.com/archive.html</a></p><p>ANYWAY. About <i>this</i> story.</p><p>While Galo and Lio aren’t exactly Sara and Jareth character doubles, the scenario provides a lot of fun framing for our Promare favs. Promarinth takes many cues from both movies, but also becomes something quite different, so I hope it’s interesting and enjoyable to read! I’d say the first 30k are setting the stage and then things really take off. By that I mean, these two become progressively more idiotic until they make out. :) Funtimes!</p><p>One of the things I loved about writing this fic was making BR an actual family. And let’s kick it off with the Lucia and Galo dynamic!! Matoi Tech!!</p><p>Unfortunately, Galo has definitely been more conditioned by Kray (burf) in this take, and it’s pretty painful all around. And Lio has a major hangup that he needs to break free from, too. Let’s get into those character arcs! :D</p><p>I’m also curious how much I should talk about Fae tropes? I’m assuming not everyone knows them, so I’m trying to explain them in the story as much as possible (like how Faeries are harmed by iron, etc.). But they’re used pretty loosely here. And I straight up made up a few. XD pfffft, you’ll see...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Makes No Sense For You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nothing is as it seems.<br/>The Goblin King lays out the rules of the game.<br/>Galo tries to deny that his careful training is counterproductive.<br/>Peril is frequently averted by the scent of roses.<br/>The first sibling is found.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the whirlwind of teal fire dispersed around him, Galo was only aware of pain. While these strangely colored flames hadn’t hurt him, the movement and tug of fierce wind outraged the existing wound.</p><p>To say his arm was throbbing would have been a true understatement. The burned skin was hard to look at, all swollen, raw and bleeding. It felt like it was still on fire. The pain itself was <em>loud</em> and refused to stay contained in his arm, radiating angrily through the juncture of his shoulder to spill into his chest, his throat, crawling up his face and down his back like the fire was still singeing him and spreading.</p><p>And yet it hurt less than failing the Gov (though he was still unclear how he had).</p><p>And it was nothing compared to losing Lucia.</p><p>As his eyes adjusted from the blinding light, he couldn’t help a gasp through his pain-clenched teeth. He was standing atop an incline with only a few gnarled trees on its slope, giving him a great vantage point in the dim, lavender luminance. It had been sunset Aboveground, but an orb hovering high in the center of the strange sky here currently filled this world with a kind of pre-dawn glow.</p><p>Spread before him as far as the eye could see was the Labyrinth, its dense pattern of brick-walled pathways simultaneously chaotic yet intricate and neat. Strangely organic yet intentional, like someone with thought had captured a pattern of nature and tried to organize it another way. Just enough to make it more unpredictable.</p><p>Fascinating.</p><p>Beautiful.</p><p>Tricky.</p><p>Deceiving.</p><p>Like the Fae.</p><p>He felt the slightest twinge of intimidation as his eyes traveled over the miles of winding passages to the slightly raised center of the maze. A distant city on a hill. And at the center of the city, a castle that looked… impossible. Stone and mortar wouldn’t have been able to hold such a shape on its own, spindly, twisting towers and bridges binding wings of what must have been massive halls and rooms and courtyards improbably stacked at different levels in their defiance of gravity. A large tower rose to the highest point right in the center. Triangular angles braced every which way throughout the structure, leaning and supporting at the same time. Everything strangely and magnificently balanced in proportion and composition, yet refusing a defined shape or architectural style. In fact, he was certain he saw a section move, though when he focused on it, it was still.</p><p>Perfect and contrary.</p><p>Just like a Fae to create so lovely and confusing a prison.</p><p>He knew that’s where Lucia would be. Every story said the Goblin King took his captives to his castle as they completed their terrible transformation.</p><p>So that’s where he would go. And he’d use his Matoi to find his other siblings wherever they were along the way. After all, those were the parameters he defined in his binding challenge.</p><p>He stood straighter and pushed the pain as far to the side as possible.</p><p>“It doesn't look that far,” he tried to convince himself aloud.</p><p>“It's farther than you think.”</p><p>Galo spun around and faced the Goblin King. He'd been hovering silently--<em>sneakily</em>--20 feet behind him.</p><p>He truly looked like a King in his present guise, the warrior’s battle-trim outfit and hard armor from Promepolis exchanged for a frilled blouse, tailored vest and breeches, and a magnificent--<em>ostentatious</em>--coat of embroidery and fur and gold trim. The long coat tail seemed to ripple like a real one. Combined with the look in the King’s glowing eyes, Galo was reminded of a dragon studying his next meal.</p><p>Here in his own land, the monarch seemed perfectly at ease, effortless poise accentuated by a casual fist propped against his hip. His look of haughty disdain did nothing to mar his unnatural beauty, however, and Galo gave up trying not to admire it. The new hairpiece was particularly devious, sharp spikes holding back luxurious layers to reveal a contrasting display of curves--softly pointed ear, delicate jaw, and graceful neckline drawing the eye in mesmerizing descent.</p><p>Well…</p><p>If appearance was the only pleasant thing about this monster, he might as well enjoy it!</p><p>As long as he didn't forget the true nature beneath. The Labyrinth’s master was as deceiving as his maze.</p><p>The pain in Galo’s arm and heart were helpful reminders of the cruelty he faced. He lifted his chin.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter how far it is!” He hoped his smooth rebuttal made his previous gaping pause seem more intentional. “I’m not afraid of traveling a little distance!” He pointed a thumb to his chest proudly. “My legs are one of my best features!”</p><p>“I've no doubt,” the King said with a hint of mocking in his cool tones and a glance at the appendages. “Certainly superior to anything above the shoulders.”</p><p>Galo instinctively tried to cross his arms, but winced with pain and dropped them, instead speaking more loudly in defiance. “Hah, you won't talk so big once I've beaten your Labyrinth, Goblin.”</p><p>The King had reached out a hand for some reason before Galo spoke, but then his eyes narrowed at the words. “It's Lio. Lio Fotia. Remember it, Galo Thymos.”</p><p>That disturbing feeling hit Galo again as the King once more gave his name. He certainly wouldn't be using it until he figured out what trick the half-Fae was playing.</p><p>“I don't care what you call yourself. I'm gonna beat your Labyrinth and then no one will remember your name!”</p><p>The King’s glare intensified, and Galo felt a spark of satisfaction as those mystical eyes took on a deeper glow of anger. Their color seemed to waver a bit, shifting between vivid gold and purple...</p><p>“Just like Kray's lackey to try to erase people. Well you won't be allowed near mine.” The extra fire in that rich, restrained voice ignited something in Galo’s chest, but the words chilled him. <em>Erase people</em>? He felt something strangely like remorse. But <em>not</em>. Galo tried to push it aside.</p><p>This was why Kray had said not to talk to Goblins. They could make you feel things to gain your sympathy. Your very heart had to be steel when facing them so your resolve wouldn’t falter.</p><p>The King continued. “This will be a long, lonely, fruitless few years for you.” Coat tail twitching, the King hovered a little higher, a little closer. “Maybe you'll remember my name when you realize I'm the only one you'll be seeing for a very, very long time. If I choose to see you at all." He looked Galo up and down. "Which I don't think I will."</p><p>Galo glared. "You can't fool me, <em>Goblin</em>. Just like I knew your fighting moves, I know how this works!" He pointed the index finger of his good hand at the King. "I'm not going to be here for years, the time bounds are always thirteen hours!"</p><p>"Thirteen is good. But for you," the radiant face eased into a look of satisfaction as the King tilted his head to the side, hair sweeping appealingly to reveal the other side of that splendid neck. "For you, it will be years."</p><p>Galo shifted, frowning deeper, trying to understand why he was being given more time, then straightened. "Fine, I'll still beat it just as fast but now without deadline pressure!" Right? He borrowed a little bravado from his reserves to cover his uncertainty. "I'll find each of my siblings, solve whatever puzzle is in the way, and free them to come back home, purged of your Burnish curse!"</p><p>The King leveled a dark, simmering look at him as he referred to their condition as a curse. The not-remorse flared in Galo’s chest again. "They <em>are</em> Burnish. And they <em>are</em> the puzzles. You'll have to beat them to win those challenges."</p><p>Galo's brow drew together. He definitely didn't like the sound of that. Having to defeat his own family ran the risk of hurting them. "What do you mean?"</p><p>"I always mean exactly what I say," the King answered with enigmatic menace.</p><p>He was so annoying! Evasion just made Galo want to be more blunt and direct, his own specialty.</p><p>"It doesn't matter,” Galo plowed ahead. “I've got what I need to win and rescue them! I know the rules, I can use everything I brought with me." He pulled with his will and was secretly relieved that the Matoi reappeared in his hand.</p><p>A perfectly formed eyebrow arched. "You can use whatever you manage to <em>keep</em>."</p><p>With a flick of a couple of fingers, the King sent a flare that wrapped around the hilt of the Matoi. It sparked furiously as it came in contact with the metal, but held strong. With another twist of a gloved hand, the flare yanked it from Galo’s grasp and flung it over the first wall of the Labyrinth. Galo gave a shout of indignant surprise.</p><p>He spun back around, gritting his teeth at his tormentor. “That’s not fair!”</p><p>The spark in the Goblin King’s eyes and the fact that he had hovered closer to watch Galo’s reaction confirmed that he was playing with his victim and didn’t care.</p><p>
  
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  <em>Artist: Enaki <a href="https://twitter.com/n4391">@n4391</a></em>
</p><p>Galo gave a defiant tilt of his head as he summoned the Matoi back to his hand with a thought. Demonstrating what he was going to do with his family, as well, for they were also bound to his soul.</p><p>The King looked unimpressed. It made Galo feel like he was losing ground, made him want to push harder for a reaction.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter what you do, I’m not giving up!” Galo put extra volume into his voice, enough to create an echo back from the high walls of the Labyrinth, and was satisfied when the King gave him a particularly irritated look. “If--WHEN I win, you will stop taking humans! The Burnish will be free of you! None of them will be under your power anymore. And you will never trouble the Earth or the just defenders of the Order of Foresight again!”</p><p>Galo’s own panting sounded suddenly loud in the absolute stillness the Goblin King assumed after this declaration. Even his clothes stopped moving. Galo squinted at him, trying to read the uncanny, intense blankness of his expression. Not-remorse settled in Galo’s throat as he realized that though his expression gave nothing away, the King was in fact paler, more drawn. And the world around them had become even more still, the faint bird tweets and sigh of wind and rustle of the sparse trees had gone silent.</p><p>Galo knew he shouldn’t feel bad for confronting a monster, for stating the truth, but when the King’s eyes dropped for a moment, Galo’s heart did, too.</p><p>“That is true,” The King said quietly, but it was crisp in the still air. Then he leveled eyes at Galo that chilled him to the core. “But if you lose… all memory of this place, of its people, of all things Burnish and Fae will forever be erased from your memory. And you will never return.”</p><p>Which meant if he lost… he wouldn't even <em>remember</em> the people he loved. And would have no second chance to save them. That was the worst outcome he could imagine. Galo’s arm began throbbing in time with his racing heart.</p><p>He had better win. And he would. As long as the Goblins didn’t use their ultimate weapon.</p><p>“Well…” Galo was definitely struggling to maintain his nearly impenetrable confidence after so many corrections from the King and contradictions in his own heart. At least he was getting the information he needed, he just needed to remember his training. <em>Steel your resolve, strike back</em>. “I know you’re not allowed to use your fire against me while I’m a guest in your land, <em>Goblin</em>. It would break the rules of Hospitality that bind you Fae. So you don’t have much that can--”</p><p>“Yes, those rules bind us Fae--and us only. It’s an arrangement <em>between</em> Fae. It has no bearing on you humans. We can use the full power of our fire on you, <em>Champion</em>.”</p><p>It was the Fae’s voice that had become steel.</p><p>And Galo was beginning to think he didn’t know as much as he thought he did. Where had his training gone wrong? He had studied <em>so hard</em>.</p><p>No matter.</p><p>“I <em>am</em> Kray’s Champion!” How dare he try to make that an insult! Remembering his beloved mentor cleared away the cloudy doubts. “So the rest doesn’t matter! I’ll win no matter how mean you are or how much you lie. The fire in my soul is stronger than all of your army’s together and can’t be put out!”</p><p>Sheer resolve was all Galo had left, so he gave it everything he had. But as his heart beat harder, the pain in his arm became nearly impossible to ignore.</p><p>The King rose even higher in his hover, looking down at him with true disgust. “<em>Champion</em>. How very like someone from the Foresight Order to claim a title they haven't earned. To insult their host and think they are <em>better</em>. To focus on winning, without even understanding the stakes or what it means to get there.” In a blink of speed too fast for Galo to track, the airborne Fae was behind him, only inches away. So close, Galo could feel the intensity of his unnaturally high body heat radiate into his back. “To call me a liar and yet try to cheat.” The King tapped the Matoi with a gloved knuckle that flared momentarily as it connected with steel. Then he was in front of Galo, in his face, staring him down in a pose that mirrored the one Galo had assumed after he caught the Goblin in his armor. “Go ahead, <em>Champion</em>. Face this maze. Maybe it will teach you something, though I don't know what could possibly sink in past that thick skull.”</p><p>Galo stuck his chest out, leaving a bare inch between them. “If it's thick, that just means you can't get in it! And if you're not in my well-guarded head, I'm beyond your reach. I've challenged your Labyrinth, I'm here within the rules of the game. You can't do anything to me.”</p><p>When in doubt, double down on what you know. Don’t let the enemy get to you.</p><p>“Incorrect.” The King placed a single finger on Galo’s chest and pushed him back a few inches with surprising strength in so slender a digit. “I <em>have full power over you</em>.”</p><p>Galo’s eyes widened in realization even as the King’s gleamed.</p><p>Oh. That’s what he had screwed up in his binding. That… damn, that was not a small mistake. No wonder Kray had been so worried about him</p><p>“I can do whatever I want with you,” the King confirmed, lips quirking into almost-a-smirk that accentuated a perfect mouth and deepened the burn in his gaze.</p><p>As Galo stared, he felt himself truly waver. Not because of the words spoken, but because of his own reaction. Looking into those light refracting eyes, Galo's breath paused for a moment as he realized it wasn't fear or anger he instinctively felt but… intrigue. A pull rather than repulsion. The heady scent of roses grew stronger the longer he let himself dwell in that... intrigue...</p><p>The allure of the Fae was powerful indeed. He’d never faced anything like it. It could turn your heart into a traitor.</p><p>He shivered just a bit as the King almost sang in a voice deep with satisfaction, "Don’t forget it, Galo Thymos."</p><p>Galo couldn’t quite manage confidence when his legs were shaking, so he resorted to stubbornness, jutting his chin out in defiance when no witty reply came to mind. He was feeling decidedly off-balance, and the pain in his arm was reaching overpowering levels with the hammering of his heart. His vision was growing oddly dim.</p><p>Something flickered in the depths of purple-gold eyes as they read his own.</p><p>Not-remorse?</p><p>With the same unnerving speed as before, the King grabbed Galo's burnt arm. He flinched instinctively, but a pleasing coolness spread from those slender fingers and soothed its way from wrist to shoulder. The raw, red flesh rapidly healed until only a pattern of neat scars remained. They actually looked kind of… badass.</p><p>“Wouldn't want you getting sick before we start the fun.”</p><p>The King didn’t meet his gaze and began to fade before his very eyes. Galo realized he was out of time with the introductions. So he blurted out the one thing that had remained an urgent cry in his mind through everything.</p><p>“Don't hurt Lucia!”</p><p>The Goblin King’s disappearing paused. The undimmed eyes rose again to consider him. Then he vanished completely.</p><p>“She is safe,” the fading voice promised.</p><p>“Worry about yourself,” a whispered warning by one ear.</p><p>“You’re no match for me,” echoed by the other.</p><p>*****</p><p>After the intensity of the fire battle and the equally intense presence of the Goblin King, the quiet solitude Galo suddenly found himself in was unnerving in its own right. It was an expectant stillness, aware. Like the bricks of the wall he now faced were watching him back.</p><p><span>The light in the sky had warmed to full morning. </span>As far as the eye could see in either direction was just blank wall with no variation, except the door in front of him. It was large, reaching up to the top of the barrier some ten feet high, made entirely of very solid stone… except the handle and keyhole, which were silver. Too bad he didn’t have a key.</p><p>First thing’s first, though. His Fire Fighter training had taught him that you never regretted proper outfitting and equipment prep. Sending a mental command to the Matoi in his hand, the armor once more segmented out and dropped down to fit itself to his body. But here in a Fae world, the metal reacted in conflict with the essence of the place. It glowed faintly, grew uncomfortably warm, and snapped with random, painful sparks. As armor, it was having the opposite effect.</p><p>Still! Whatever contradicted the Fae influence had to be a net positive! It might feel bad, but ultimately it would protect him from the greater harm he was sure to face at the hands of his crafty host.</p><p>As soon as the helmet settled on his head, he tried to ignore the discomfort and contact Ignis. A light static was all that came through the comms gear. No surprise there, maintaining a signal between a Fae world and the human one would have been too much to hope for.</p><p>So clanging, sparking, and flinching, he marched closer to the door, determined to defeat it on his own.</p><p>Free of the armor, the Matoi in his hand was once more a blunt sword. It would burn a Fae on contact, but require considerable effort to harm a human. He stared at the door. He could try to break through, maybe iron would have an effect. He looked to the top of the wall. Or he could try to go over, but that would mean sending his armor to rejoin with the blade to form the fan--powerful enough at full strength to lift him for brief periods of time. But that would be exposing himself, unarmored, for anything above or beyond the wall to pick off. He had no idea what monsters lurked within.</p><p>His training taught him that brute force was the best way to confront Fae mischief. He readied his blade, prepared to hack his way in.</p><p>But through the irritating buzz of the steel around him, a fresh new thought entered his head.</p><p>He could just try the handle first.</p><p>Instinct momentarily overriding instruction, he reached out and turned the curved lever, and grinned in surprise when the latch released easily with a satisfying snick.</p><p>Oh.</p><p>The door swung outward on perfectly oiled hinges. With a confident laugh--he’d outwitted the first Fae trick by not being tricky himself!--Galo strode through the door. Barely one step inside, the door closed of its own volition, smacking him in the ass and sending him faceplanting into the ground as it thudded shut emphatically behind him. Jumping to his feet, rubbing his bruised nose and glaring back at the door, Galo heard the latch catch followed by the deep thud of a much larger bolt.</p><p>Okay, getting in appeared to be the easy part.</p><p>Trying to recover some dignity, Galo used his foot to flip the sword-staff back into his hand and rested it against his shoulder all casual-like as he looked around. More wall, one in front, one behind. Just… running in a straight line to his left and right, a neverending pattern of repeating bricks. Randomly choosing to go right, Galo walked forward, scanning. The corridor between the two walls was littered with dry branches and plant refuse, enough to make it more annoying to walk through but not enough to create any kind of barrier. It kind of surprised him that it was so lifeless and… unkempt. That was the opposite of how he would describe its ruler.</p><p>The air was also swelteringly hot (which was definitely a term he <em>would</em> use to describe the King). It was even worse with the exacerbating layer of armor adding its own heat. He admitted to himself that he’d probably be free of it before long. Maybe his shirt, too.</p><p>Galo walked for a few minutes, the most notable thing being that nothing was notable. After a few more minutes, he had begun stomping in irritation, irrationally enjoying the loud clanging of the armor that declared his annoyance to the world. Galo could handle chaos, but boredom was the <em>worst</em>. Nothing changed, there was no variation at all, and no openings further into the maze. That couldn’t be right. He spun around to face back the way he came, and experienced a dizzying sense of vertigo as a completely different range of visuals flurried by his sight as his eyes quickly whisked over the walls of the Labyrinth. He held his breath for a moment as the disorientation passed. And it was just the same boring, disheveled brick corridor.</p><p>But Galo knew he had glimpsed more, it had just gone by too quickly for him to register. He spun back the other direction and it happened again--definitely colors and shapes and even lights all around him, rather than the dull bricks.</p><p>There was more there! And he realized he could actually kind of see it when he stood still, at the very edges of his vision. If he didn’t look only at what was directly in front of him, he could see there was more to the world, just here off to the side, vanishing as soon as he turned his eyes to take it in fully.</p><p>Damn tricky Fae!</p><p>Well, he wasn’t going to play by their game! Plus, he was beginning to stew in his sweat.</p><p>Slamming the staff-sword into the ground, he sent the armor back and activated the fan to full power in one fluid move. It immediately began to lift him into the air and cool him off, and with a vocal “Hah!” to the thwarted walls, he hovered above them. Knowing the Matoi wouldn’t be able to hold him up for long, he hovered over to the top of the wall and landed. With a grin, he once more took a look around.</p><p>It still looked like a bunch of boring brick walls, although from up here he could see breaks in them and twists and turns that for some reason he hadn’t seen from ground level. But where was the vibrancy that had played at the edge of his vision? The forms and hues that had hinted at so much life? A worm of resentment ate away at him for being kept out of the world within this world. It was refusing him access.</p><p>Whatever. He was only going to be here briefly, anyway, and he had one specific purpose. He didn’t even want to see what the Burnish lived like. It was probably terrible. Or at least garrish, like that stupid castle. Interesting and inviting only to mock you with its unreachability.</p><p>With a grumpy frown, Galo activated the final feature on his Matoi. The one that had been the trickiest for Lucia to create.</p><p>Concentrating on the staff, he thought of his siblings, and Aina came to mind. His heart surged with a wobbly combination of loneliness and hope. She must be closest! He was going to get to see her again! Unbidden, a line of moisture rimmed his eyes even as his frown did a 180 into a beaming smile.</p><p>“Locate!” he commanded, and a trail of pure light, white edged with teal, raced out and took off in front and to the left of him, until it ended about a mile away.</p><p>Visually, he tried to map it, the pathways and openings that would lead from where he was to that destination. The tops of the walls were too far apart to jump and his Matoi’s energy would run out way too fast if he tried to hop-fly his way there. Then he’d have to wait for it to naturally recharge, and he <em>hated</em> waiting. No, it was probably much faster to just navigate this maze, and now he had a map from above that would surely lead him there.</p><p>With Aina still in his mind’s eye and the memory of her laughter and scoldings in his ears, he leapt eagerly down into the next section of the Labyrinth and took off running to the next opening that would lead him forward.</p><p>“Don’t worry, Aina, I’m almost there!”</p><p>*****</p><p>So. Turns out the Labyrinth wasn’t just boring corridors. Once he got past that first layer, every turn seemed to reveal a new puzzle, each path led to monsters or death traps. And they were all set up with intention--there were labels and signs giving directions and riddles of advice. No doubt to deceive and mock any challenger. He ignored the guidance entirely. And on top of all that, the Labyrinth constantly threw spontaneous changes at him. The maze seemed to have a mind of its own, cutting off routes, varying its size, opening chasms.</p><p>If there was one thing Galo knew about challenging the Fae, it was that you shouldn’t play by their rules.</p><p>They were tricky, so you had to be super direct.</p><p>And dammit, he was going to use his straightforward awesomeness to contradict the contrary in every way he could! If only to annoy them back.</p><p>When he noticed the random arrows on the walkway’s flagstones at an intersection, he always went the opposite way. He wasn’t going to fall for so blatant a misdirection. Frequently this led to bad things, like a pit full of quicksand or a toothy creature’s lair or spike traps or a mandatory game of Twister with invisible opponents, but he managed to survive each time. If this was the better route, he hated to think what dangers he would have encountered on the “recommended” path!</p><p>The numerous puzzle doors and riddles and obstacle courses he encountered required thought, skill, and finesse to get past, but he wasn’t here to waste time with games! So he just hopped over them with judicious use of his Matoi. Strangely, the paths beyond these challenges were pretty terrible and even more laden with traps. But of course! If he was on the right track and making good time, the Labyrinth would be trying extra hard to kill him! He must be doing so great.</p><p>Still, with every close encounter and narrow escape, he began to notice something.</p><p>Roses.</p><p>Specifically the faint scent of them, there and then gone as soon as he was safe and tried to take a deeper breath.</p><p>By the fourth time (a handy vine that hit him in the head just as he was falling down a deep pit), he was pretty sure it wasn’t his imagination. By the tenth, he was certain. A swarm of enormous attack bees stopped following him when he ran back the way he came and passed a stream of honey he was sure hadn’t been there before. It was the most obvious clue yet, and that now-familiar scent of rich flowers over the sweet aroma of the honey convinced him. He was getting assists from the top.</p><p>But if the Labyrinth was trying to kill him, why would its King save him?</p><p>At first he questioned why the Goblin would want to keep him alive. But it went beyond that--he was spared from plenty of devastating but non-lethal consequences as well, like burns and broken bones and terrible smells that would have been worse than either. Why would his opponent want him alive and <em>well</em>??</p><p>Probably just playing with him.</p><p>But with only that unconvincing explanation, the question consumed him as the day’s light began to fade. The crystal-like sphere that served as a sun in the sky here remained fixed overhead, its brightness simply increasing and dimming in time with the passing of hours. He would never say it to the Goblin, but he was sincerely grateful he’d been given more time. Twilight gave way to a darkness more complete than anything he’d encountered before as that orb went out. Except. When he looked up, he could see a glow over the wall. After an entire day of running to and from peril, Galo admitted he was pretty tired. It was too dark to continue without creeping along, anyway. He had trained for this scenario, and knew it was time to rest so he’d have the endurance to make it through. But still curious, he activated the Matoi once more and rose to the top of the wall.</p><p>It was eerie. The Labyrinth and its pathways looked absolutely dark, but there was a glow emanating up from it and leaking into the sky like a city’s nightlife in full swing. The colors and light of the hidden world, he realized. The one he was walking right through as it remained permanently distant and invisible.</p><p>Galo sat and watched the lights shift, feeling very alone. The colors reminded him of the ones that had seemed to glow around the King. What did his realm really look like?</p><p>“I bet it’s beautiful,” he murmured aloud as the subconscious thought slipped past all his conditioned, rationalizing barriers.</p><p>“It is,” the wind seemed to whisper by his ear as it carried roses and called up a face that could overtake the strongest will.</p><p>Galo frowned and quickly stood. Look at him, willingly being taken in by glamours and spells. Kray would have been so disappointed to see him mooning over a Fae stronghold that imprisoned so many innocent people.</p><p>Keeping his family’s images in his mind and acknowledging his mistake, he jumped back into the pitch black Labyrinth, leaned against a wall, and tried to sleep. But in the darkness, his mind kept calling up the contrary King, and his heart was more stubborn in its insistence that he confront the contradictions. Why did someone so cruel seem... vulnerable to Galo’s verbal attacks? Why did those eyes carry so much feeling when the heart within was so cold? He still felt the sting of not-remorse. Why did someone so cruel heal him? Protect him? Watch over him at all? And why did he smell so good? And why did that scent give Galo a sense of well-being?</p><p>Galo crossed his arms, strangely sad rather than irritated now at the lack of answers. His mind tried to remind him that anything sweet about the King was likely there to lure him to his doom, like a Venus fly trap. But his mind was making something in his heart hurt.</p><p>He tried to block it all out and sleep. Things would make more sense in the morning.</p><p>It took awhile, and when he finally fell into a dream, it was full of a fire that constantly chased him, but never quite reached.</p><p>*****</p><p>It took Galo the better part of the following day to finally make it to the section of the Labyrinth where the Matoi indicated he’d find Aina. The Labyrinth was accommodating enough in its provisions of edible plants and fountains of water in various open courtyards he passed through, but today it seemed determined to make him more uncomfortable than it previously had. As the light got brighter in the sky, the temperature increased until he happily peeled off his shirt and stuffed it through his belt, using the water fountains to cool off further along the way. Each time, he caught the scent of roses, suddenly potent and more layered than ever, swirling through him in giddy joy. It immediately made him paranoid about potential danger even as it tried to sweep him up in happiness. None came in these instances, however, so he wasn’t sure why the King might be lurking about during his cool-off breaks, lobbing aromatic… attacks? To unnerve him in moments of rest, maybe?</p><p>Anyway, turns out the mile as a crow flies from the entrance to Aina was the longest, twistiest mile of his life. He finally rounded a corner and came upon a scene that had to be an illusion. At least it was a welcome relief from brick walls.</p><p>There was a whole lake of ice surrounded by trees and mountains and rock formations. It looked exactly like his family’s secret spot back home. Out about 50 feet from the shore, skating as if she hadn't a care in the world was Aina herself. Galo's heart leapt to his throat at the sight of his sister-friend, and he dashed out onto the ice without another thought.</p><p>“Aina!” he called in joyful exuberance.</p><p>The ice promptly began to crack ominously. He might have risked it anyway, but the lines in the ice began to fracture their way to Aina, until she gasped as the very foundation under her threatened to give way.</p><p>She looked up and he saw the fear in her eyes as she called, "Galo!"</p><p>What he had originally taken for familiar solid ice was in fact a relatively thin sheet covering a <em>giant whirlpool of flowing water</em>! No one falling in would be getting out. Galo’s heart raced as he saw how far out Aina still was.</p><p>Fear caught in his throat as Aina mimicked the frozen surface and split in two before Galo's very eyes. The two Ainas drifted apart until they were standing 10 feet from each other in a dangerous balance on a single block of ice. Horror shone in their eyes as they struggled to keep their feet beneath them.</p><p>Any wrong move would plunge at least one of them into the deadly, frigid tempest below.</p><p>As a final twist, the two Aina's were not the same. One was as he remembered her most of their lives. Spunky, strong, with quirky pink hair, undeniably pretty eyes, and a fashion sense best described as tough cute. The other Aina looked like a completed version of the last time he'd seen her. Just before she had been taken, the fire had been devouring and changing her, a new nature seemingly at war with her existing body. The fully Burnish Aina before him was not only stunning, she seemed more vibrantly herself. Her hair was still asymmetrical, but the shape had become more angular. The faerie glow that hugged her form was a very light blue, like pale ice or a sunny winter sky. It outlined and brightened her, giving her that soft shine all Burnish had. It was almost like she had become more Aina than she had ever been, something inside now visible and active on the outside.</p><p>"You can only save one," an unfamiliar voice said clearly from above and behind him.</p><p>He turned to see a large red bird sitting calmly on a branch in one of the trees surrounding the lake. It was looking at him expectantly.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"You must choose. Which one is really your sister?"</p><p>That was impossible to tell from sight alone.</p><p>And he understood what was really going on. It was a test to see whether he would save a regular human or one of the Burnish-cursed, all other things being equal.</p><p>It was an intentionally terrible choice.</p><p>Well, he wasn't about to start playing along now. He wasn't going to gamble on anyone's life, let alone his sister's. And he definitely wasn't going to compromise on his ideals of saving each precious person just cuz some bird gave him an ultimatum.</p><p>"Are they both real or is one an illusion?” he asked, “Are they both actual people?"</p><p>If they were both real, he needed to save them both, no matter who the other person was.</p><p>The bird gave him an approving look that transformed into a cunning smile. "Maybe. They might both be people, but only one is really Aina. And either, neither, or both may be in disguise."</p><p>Galo rolled his eyes at the unnecessary complications. Damn Fae. But that didn't change what he was going to do.</p><p>Wasting no more time in discussion, he bolted to the Ainas. Not to either one but somewhere down the middle. He could hear the snaps of breaking ice behind him, feel the reverberations in his feet. Both Ainas eyes had widened in shock. With a final slide he twirled around just as he passed human Aina, and using the Matoi for leverage flung her all the way over the ice back to the shore and a pillowy snow drift. Completing the rotation, he turned on the Matoi's hover function and flung it to Burnish Aina just as the ice gave way beneath him. He barely had time to see her catch it in surprise and watch her feet lift off the ice as he called, "I believe in you, Aina!"</p><p>And then all he knew was cold so complete all the air tore from his lungs and his body went completely rigid in shock.</p><p>It was only a single moment, just long enough to realize he would survive a very short time in this water, before a form dove in beside him and a pair of clawed birds feet grabbed his waistband.</p><p>He was hauled free of the icy whirlpool and in a few seconds deposited none too gently on the snowy shore. The bird pecked his head and began flapping its wings at him, the gusts of air surprisingly strong and warm. Before he had time to realize what was happening, he was already dry and thawed.</p><p>“What the hell was that?!” Burnish Aina yelled at him as she landed and tossed the Matoi down in front of him.</p><p>“Yeah, you could have been killed!” Regular Aina stood over him, fists on hips.</p><p>The bird had landed on his shoulder and yelled the loudest. "You idiot!! The only one in danger in that scenario was you! Only you would be so stupid and unnecessarily noble at the same time just because you don’t want to make a plan!" the bird huffed, pecking him intermittently in the head.</p><p>“I didn’t need a plan! I knew Aina would save me back!” he yelled indignantly, then paused.</p><p>He knew that scolding.</p><p>"Aina?"</p><p>And the bird gave him a look of exasperated affection.</p><p>"Yes," she admitted before leaping into the air before him, the feathers and claws transformed into the Burnish form of his sister who always took him to task and always had his back. With a glad cry, he jumped up and grabbed her into a surrounding embrace, which she immediately returned. “Aina, Aina, Ainaaaa!” He nuzzled his cheek into her hair, heart soaring. Everything was worth it, he had his precious sister back. He felt a great surge of warmth emanate from her, and when he loosened his grasp, Aina was her original self, Burnish no longer.</p><p>Her expression became confused and distraught as she watched the last of her fire fade into the air.</p><p>"Galo? What… happened?"</p><p>She looked surprised as first one tear, then another fell from her eyes, until a flow of them began tracking down her cheeks as she gazed around in a strange combination of knowing puzzlement. Her eyes held a profound but unmoored sense of loss that tore at Galo's heart. Living as a Burnish must have truly traumatized her.</p><p>"It's going to be okay, I've got you," Galo promised, once more pulling her into his arms. She put hers around him again and leaned her forehead on his shoulder, listening as he explained. "You were taken by the Goblin King, but I challenged his Labyrinth to get you back, and it worked!"</p><p>She pulled back, swiping an arm across her eyes, brow creased as she seemed to search her memory and piece things together.</p><p>“So... we’re leaving?” she asked, still clearly trying to orient herself.</p><p>“Yeah! As soon as we get the others, we’ll be outta here for good.”</p><p>Aina pressed her lips together and stared back out at the lake. Her eyes widened in dismay as the illusion began to fade and they could see a brick wall take its place.</p><p>“Aina?” Galo gently prodded. “We’ll be back at the real thing soon.”</p><p>“This doesn’t feel good,” she spoke slowly.</p><p>“I’m sure that will wear off once we leav--”</p><p>“No, I mean, that’s what doesn’t feel… right.”</p><p>Galo cocked his head at her in question, and an expression of humor whisked across her face at the sight as she murmured, “Puppy.” She ruffled his hair and with a final intense look at the almost invisible scenery, turned her back and walked the other direction, taking his hand and pulling him along as she did.</p><p>“I can’t… remember anything specific,” her brow furrowed, but she continued, “I just know that leaving this place, whatever it is… feels… <em>sad</em>.” She looked up at him with troubled eyes, foggy with recently erased memories and clear with the conviction of her words. “In my mind, it feels… it feels like Burning Rescue. Like a home. Built by people, by scattered pieces coming together.” Then she halted and grabbed his forearm, a new clarity in her widened eyes as she blurted, “It has the best pizza that ever existed.”</p><p>Galo blinked, his face hitching up in confusion. “Pizza??”</p><p>She tugged him closer until their faces were inches apart, glaring in certainty. “The. Best. Ever.”</p><p>Hm. Might be worth a side quest to find this mystical pie, Galo thought, trying to imagine what the <em>best ever</em> pizza might be like. His stomach rumbled.</p><p>Oh, those Fae knew how to play dirty.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*****</p><p>Illustration by the illustrious (hehe) Enaki! <a href="https://twitter.com/n4391">@n4391</a></p><p>Author’s notes:</p><p>Love how the word “match” has three different meanings that all give a little flavor to Lio’s parting declaration that Galo is no match for him. XD hehehe, we know better on all three counts.</p><p>I describe the overt Labyrinth appearance similar to how it is in the movie, but I kind of like the idea that the plant refuse is an indication that the Labyrinth was once more alive. In many ways, the Labyrinth is a metaphor for Lio’s heart, and you’ll see this more directly later.</p><p>This is very much a faerie tale, so I let myself do some things with the story that I would have considered too contrived or corny otherwise, and it was a ton of fun. There are several elements that are more fantastical placeholders for real struggles and conflicts, but I hope that makes them even more relatable, in a way.</p><p>And don’t worry, we’ll get through these initial stubborn misperceptions pretty darn quick. Our protagonists have very sincere, kind hearts, after all. And a lot of natural connection. Kray’s manipulations aren’t really a match for that. Ohhhh, a match! :P ahahahaha. It’s not funny, I’m just easily amused.</p><p>Next chapter: we get Lio’s POV at last! And Meis and Gueira’s. XD I LOVED writing them in this story. So much.</p><p>Let me know if anything is confusing at this point.</p><p>What DO you think Lio is thinking?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. It's Only Forever</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Galo and Lio fight themselves more than each other, and Meis and Gueira get involved with lethal results.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Galo Thymos had to be Kray's secret weapon. The evil wizard had sent him here knowing he would drive the Goblin King to insanity. Said King was now seriously regretting ever bringing the energetic Fire Fighter into his realm, and it had only been <em> one day </em>.</p><p>Lio strode through a quiet upper corridor of his castle, tight leather breeches and flowing shirt serving as his casual wear at the end of a long day of tracking flare outbreaks, strategizing for Aboveground rescue parties with his Generals and crew, and solving various disputes and community challenges here in his kingdom of Parnassus. After a long day made longer by a certain <em> Champion’s </em> stupidity, the last thing he wanted to do was continue staring into the crystal fire ball he had created, watching that idiot’s every move, hoping he’d be able to act faster than the disaster that was Galo Thymos.</p><p>No one was this dumb and disruptive without <em> intention </em>.</p><p>Lio had had to save his life several times already, for the most asinine reasons. Thymos seemed drawn to every trap and peril in the Labyrinth. Lio had specifically set up warnings, deterrents, escape routes for each of them, that would ensure any NORMAL person could avoid them before they were in real danger. But Thymos seemed more determined to defeat the safety measures than the traps! And the Burnish Boss was ACTUALLY a busy person, he couldn't keep watching over the Labyrinth's challenger and dropping what he was doing to go save him from the Cleaners or the Bog of Eternal Stench every two seconds!! He had intentionally set up the Labyrinth so it was almost impossible for a normal person to perish. A sane person. But Galo Thymos was neither. He ignored every hint and broke every rule with no thought for self preservation.</p><p>The Labyrinth was not designed for a wall jumping, puzzle skipping, attention seeking idiot. It rattled every nerve Lio had, made him want to lose his legendary cool. He should just leave the fool to his fate, let the trickster magic in the Labyrinth's corridors do what it wanted with him.</p><p>But for <em> some </em> reason, Lio couldn't look away.</p><p>Especially when the Champion visited the fountains and ran the cool waters over his well-toned physique.</p><p>Well, ahem. Lio could recognize why Kray may have liked having him around for aesthetic reasons, even if the company wasn’t exactly intelligent. The other… <em> benefits </em> were enlightening in their own way. Something about the angle of his chin and the determination in his smile and the shape of--Lio quickly shook his head, pushing aside the kinds of thoughts that lured him to fountainsides.</p><p>But even more than those fascinating, <em> glistening </em> moments, the image Lio couldn’t erase from his mind was the solitary figure sitting in darkness upon a wall, looking wistful for just a moment at the light beyond the veil. Admitting despite himself that it might be beautiful. And that later moment when he looked so relieved to see that the Ainas were going to be safe just as he plunged to his own doom, refusing to sacrifice another. And the way he had held the real her, caring without restraint. Lio’s heart had twisted with something as he watched them.</p><p>If only that were truly the person Thymos was, he might be worth getting to know better. Those beautiful inner-lit eyes flashed across Lio’s mind. Thymos’ passion alone would have made him compelling. Lio firmly put aside the image of pecs that tried to add itself to the argument, lengthening his stride as if to escape the thoughts, determined not to get sidetracked by deceptive allure again. He refocused on the reality. The obvious Truth.</p><p>Thymos’ heart was hard, unbendable steel towards those he didn’t even bother to understand. He hated everything about Lio and his wonderful people. He was so determined to be <em> contrary </em>towards anything Fae, it was almost a full time job just to save him from himself. So all the contradictory appeal, the openness, was probably some kind of trick. Kray must have trained him to prey on others’ sympathy, a ploy the wizard used plenty with his Burnish captives.</p><p>Lio couldn’t be distracted, reckless. He had to protect his people and their home.</p><p>He needed to remember: in the end, Galo was simply another of Kray’s thugs.</p><p>Just a particularly appealing one.</p><p>Augh, okay <em> fine </em> . Lio’s stride became more of a disgruntled stomp. Galo Thymos was objectively <em> fine </em> . But, really, Lio <em> had </em> to look at him just to keep the dolt alive, and if a visually pleasing form was the only pleasant thing about the Monster’s Champion, he might as well enjoy it! As long as he didn't forget the man’s true nature. Lio would NOT be fooled. It would also be just like Kray to use <em> physical </em> appeal to disarm his opponent. Probably every aspect of Thymos had been chosen to undo his enemy! So devious.</p><p>Thymos was stupid and clumsy and arrogant, and there was no way he’d get through the Labyrinth even with 13 years.</p><p>And yet...</p><p>Despite everything, Thymos had succeeded in his first Reclamation by the second day.</p><p>Realizing he had made two laps around this section of the castle without settling on a destination, Lio dropped with a frown onto a nearby windowsill and swung his legs out, kicking his heels against the outer stone. Trying to puzzle out how Thymos had failed his way to success. Few challengers ever made a Reclamation before they ultimately lost and left the Labyrinth. Winning these stages of the game was a singularly potent kind of magic.</p><p>The only way the Mad Burnish had found that could undo a human’s Burnish transformation was through the primordial Fae power inherently present in their games. It was an ancient order that superseded the influence of the chaotic fire the Fae had left behind unchecked on Earth. And though Aina had only been with them a short while, she would definitely be missed. He felt the fire leave her, the breaking of his Burnish Claim bond and protection. The same sad feeling of separation as when one of his people perished. But he knew she would be back when Thymos failed. Or... she may yet choose to leave behind her Burnish memories forever and return Above with him. By the laws of the Labyrinth, she did now have a choice and he would let her make it.</p><p>In the meantime, he <em> had </em> hoped she would be able to rein in Thymos’ path of self-destruction. Unable to resist, Lio summoned his crystal ball again, pursing his lips as he cast the view to Thymos’ current location. Yes, the idiot was still ignoring Aina’s good advice. Instead they were arguing about how to proceed. In demonstration, Aina made it safely across a basic floor puzzle and through the door beyond, yelling for Galo to hurry up. But the idiot began boasting about how much better it was to “blast straight past” the puzzles rather than engage with them.</p><p>Two seconds later, Lio watched Thymos drop into an Oubliette for the third time. He sighed. He had put <em> Helping Hands </em> in the tunnel that dropped down there!! Helping Hands that would do whatever they were asked--like lifting you OUT of the obvious pit of doom below before it shut you in!! But what did this challenger do??</p><p>"Well I already know what's up, so take me down!"</p><p>Like he was making the clever choice.</p><p>Lio would have done more to defeat Kray by leaving this moron with <em> him </em> to waste <em> his </em> time.</p><p>It was time to confront Thymos. So he could finally ignore him.</p><p> </p><p>****</p><p>Galo scratched his head in the darkness. Great. Another one of these. Just an empty black pit. So boring.</p><p>He activated the cooling agent in his Matoi and it gave off a dim, cool light that only reached a few feet. He walked forward until he found a wall and began walking along it. The previous under-Underground chambers had all had a door or a ladder or something. He often missed it on his first pass, but that heady rose scent always signalled he’d find something on the next go round.</p><p>Speaking of.</p><p>Galo stopped, resting the end of his glowing sword-staff on the ground, he stared out into the darkness.</p><p>“I know you’re there.” Time to call him out and get to the bottom of this.</p><p>First the eyes appeared in the darkness, a royal gradient of purple infused with gold, and Galo wondered how he could have forgotten how lovely they were. A graceful figure took form and drifted closer until he was just at the edge of the Matoi’s dim blue light. He was still half invisible though, and in this light’s hue, he almost looked like a ghost. Galo shivered in the clammy cool air.</p><p>That wouldn’t do.</p><p>“Worried about how far I got already?” Galo turned the bravado up to an 11, watching a frown form to accompany the King’s disapproving stare. “Don’t like that I’m winning, do you?”</p><p>The King didn’t reply. Just floated there, invisible forces rippling subtly through his clothes and hair, enticing Galo’s eyes to follow their movement and drift over the slender form. Being all mysterious and silent despite Galo’s directness and volume. Trying to use his stunning beauty and searing gaze and the light playing with shadows across his face to intimidate Galo. </p><p>Fine, his heart may be racing, but Galo couldn't be intimidated by anyone!!</p><p>He took a step forward and the King drifted backward in perfect time keeping the same distance between them. “Is the big boss worried about my success? You’ve probably never seen a challenger like me!”</p><p>That finally got a reaction, a small eye roll. And translucent lips finally spoke.</p><p>“You can't possibly be this stupid.” The King’s eyes narrowed a bit. “Whatever your plan is, it won't work.”</p><p>“I don’t have a <em> plan </em>!” Galo splayed a hand across his chest in offense at the idea, and the King quirked an eyebrow. “More of, like, a checklist. And I'm not stupid! I just don't overthink things!” Galo stomped one foot forward and raised a fist of determination. “Better to just go for it, head on!”</p><p>The King offered him silence and a flat look of mocking disbelief.</p><p>Letting the Matoi rest against his shoulder, Galo crossed his arms. “If I'm so stupid, why do you keep rescuing me?”</p><p>The King’s eyes widened and he seemed to fade just a bit more.</p><p>“Yeah! I know it was you! If you want to be all sneaky about things, you should maybe not choose such a strong and obvious cologne. I mean, roses are classy but hard to miss. Pretty pretentious.”</p><p>The King was silent, but his face revealed it was because Galo had stunned him speechless. Very interesting…</p><p>“You… can <em> smell </em> me?”</p><p>Galo grinned as he realized he’d thrown off Mr. Command and Control. Bonus points! “Yup. Roses.”</p><p>The King faded until he was almost invisible but for his eyes, yet that couldn’t hide his expression of dismay. Galo felt a twinge of not-remorse for apparently embarrassing him.</p><p>“I mean, it’s not a bad smell. At all. It kinda makes me happy.”</p><p>Galo could tell that the King winced just from his eyes. Then they turned to the side in focused contemplation.</p><p>“You've known I was there the whole time.”</p><p>“I caught on.”</p><p>Now the King didn’t fade, but sank back further away from Galo, into the shadows until his eyes, shifting between sunset gold and nightfall violet, shone from the darkness amid a form outlined in his signature dual-toned glow. Galo’s lips quirked up, somehow fascinated that the darkness did less to hide him than the light. It didn’t seem very appropriate for a monster.</p><p>“You've been <em> testing </em> me.” Indignation edged the King’s voice.</p><p>Galo frowned. For some reason, the Goblin King thinking him manipulative disturbed him.</p><p>“No.” Galo tried to turn that disappointed feeling into defiance. He stuck out his chin. “<em> I'm </em> not some tricky Fae.”</p><p>Those glowing eyes narrowed as Galo continued.</p><p>“I do things direct.” He gestured with a proud thumb to his bare chest, causing the staring eyes to flicker to that area, before Galo then pointed forward. “But that doesn't mean I don't <em> notice </em>.”</p><p>The eyes glared. Galo felt an inexplicable desire to see what else he could make them do. Each variation was as fascinating as it was gorgeous. Turns out there were some games he <em> did </em> want to play after all. What would make those windows to the soul really spark? Catch a flame that mirrored his?</p><p>His heart was still steel, it was just… heated.</p><p>Galo smirked in challenge. “You're upset that you tipped your hand. Maybe you should admit when someone <em> honest </em> and true beats your sneaky, heartless Fae ways and save yourself the rest of the trouble.” Sadly, the lovely eyes cooled instead. Galo frowned. He grew serious as he reminded both himself and the King why he was here, “I <em> am </em> going to take back the Burnish one way or another, and the Order will find a way to free them from the corruption of fire--”</p><p>Next thing he knew, he was up against a wall and his Matoi was on the ground, the shadows themselves binding him so tightly he couldn't move. A blade of blinding colors was against his throat and the Goblin King was bearing down on him with his now fully visible presence.</p><p>Holy… <em> that’s </em> what he looked like with fire in his eyes, infusing his face. It burned Galo's mind completely clean.</p><p><em> Damn </em>.</p><p>It took Galo a moment to register that the King’s eyes had <em> actually </em> changed. Rather than blended, all the purple had gathered in one eye and the other was now pure gold. For some reason they had split and intensified into heterochromia.</p><p>Combined with the controlled violence of the Fae’s reaction, Galo took this as a signal that he had definitely succeeded in hitting a nerve. Was it the gloating? The insults? Or the threat to take away his army? Regardless, it was gratifying to finally loosen this enigma’s control, catch a glimmer of what he was really made of. Galo wanted to break through the mists and walls and really <em> see </em> him. The Labyrinth’s ultimate puzzle. </p><p>So far, so many things hadn’t made sense. And indeed, in violet and gold he caught a first glimpse of an answer. But it wasn’t what he had expected. He had called the King <em> heartless </em>, had seen the miniscule flinch at the word. Now Galo could see far too much heat in this soul for that word to possibly be true.</p><p>When the Goblin King spoke, his voice was rich with contained fury, like fire in steel.</p><p>“You will <em> never </em> touch my people.” Pain. That’s what Galo saw, heard, <em> felt </em> , and it kicked the Not straight off his Remorse. “You want honesty? I could leave you here in the Oubliette to despair. Locked in the darkness without end. It would suit my purposes. It would be easy. You would fade from memory. Perhaps it would even cure you of your arrogance. Is that <em> honest </em> enough for you? I can leave you right here for the full time. Thir. Teen. Years.”</p><p>Galo leaned his face further forward, eyes trained on the furious bound-fire confronting him in the Goblin King's gaze, until the sword against his throat was almost breaking skin and their foreheads were almost touching. The Fae lord didn't move a millimeter. Until Galo spoke with dawning conviction.</p><p>“But you won't.”</p><p>Neither head nor heart could deny this certainty as he stared at the King. Capricious cruelty simply wasn't… him.  </p><p>Pieces of evidence began to click into place. There was no reason for the Goblin King to hold back from tormenting him. Galo had directly granted him that power. But the King hadn’t used it to hurt him. Even once. Quite the opposite. Even when he was intentionally obnoxious to him, this Fae showed nothing but restraint. He’d even healed his arm, though the additional suffering would have slowed his opponent down.</p><p>Galo wasn't quite sure what to do with that knowledge, but it added a boulder to the pile of things he'd discovered he'd been wrong about since coming to this strange place. In fact… it began to unravel everything that was driving him. His head swam in the disorienting clash of confusion and clarity.</p><p>The King’s fury turned to outrage at Galo’s self-assured call-out. He retracted his shadows and coiled backward, gathering them to him as if to instinctively conceal himself. But Galo had been pushing against the wall with his feet, straining to break free, and as soon as the shadows’ weight was off him, his legs automatically thrust him forward. With a surprised look on both their faces, Galo slammed into the King hard enough to send them both crashing to the ground.</p><p>In that moment of airborne tumult, there was only one fact that stood out to Galo. Okay, two, but since one of them was an irrelevant thrill at having the lithe, ember-warm form suddenly pressed to his, there was only one <em> important </em> fact that stood out.</p><p>They were going to land on his Matoi. Which currently had lots of actively cold iron and steel exposed. Metals that would burn through an unguarded Fae like acid through paper.</p><p>He didn’t give it another thought. His arms wrapped around the small monarch, returning the look of outrage to that defiant, delicate face. With a twist, he flipped them over just in time for his own back to slam into the cold, hard weapon and take the falling weight of the King. His head smacked painfully into the top of the Matoi and Galo saw stars.</p><p>When his vision cleared, he still saw them, only this time they were caught in the twilight skies of a pair of otherworldly eyes, framed by gracefully sweeping clouds of long, soft lashes.</p><p>He could feel the gentle puffs of air on his face from lips that looked satin-smooth as his arms’ captive tried to catch his breath. Feel a delicious warmth pressing down along his whole body, melting through pliant leather and barely-there cotton, contrasting with the chilly air of the cave-like chamber and the cold iron against his back. That exquisite fresh rose aroma was so thick he felt like his lungs were drinking in liquid beauty.</p><p><em> Heaven </em>. The single word was the only thing that drifted through his mind as it reached for description.</p><p>He felt fine hands through soft gloves smooth absentmindedly across his chest as the transcendent face drifted an inch closer, studying something in his own eyes. The brow creased, as if confused at what the gaze uncovered.</p><p>Then a quick inhale of breath and slim arms shoved against his chest with the strength of a hydraulic press, flinging the elegant form backward into the air a few yards away. For a couple of heartbeats as Galo sat up dizzily rubbing at his head, the hovering King held his arms and knees close to his chest, guarded and flustered. Then he straightened into a pose both stiff and majestic.</p><p>“How dare you touch me!”</p><p>Galo raised a brow trying to shake off the effects of both the blow and the proximity to paradise (or at least its illusion).</p><p>“Sorry for saving your life?”</p><p>The King looked between him and the Matoi, piecing together the scene. He cast Galo a look of disquieted suspicion.</p><p>“Why did you?”</p><p>“Every life is worth saving.” Galo spoke his truth without a single filter of thought.</p><p>Gold-violet stared at him for a long time. Then looked down.</p><p>“It is.”</p><p>Galo was shocked… that he <em> wasn’t </em> shocked to hear the King share his ideal.</p><p>Maybe they weren’t so different.</p><p>NO!</p><p>It had to… it all had to be a lie, right? Otherwise nothing else made sense--the kidnappings and the attacks and Kray… Thinking of his trusted mentor swept Galo up in a sudden, overwhelming wave of guilt for doubting what he had been taught, for doubting his idol and ignoring the training he’d so carefully provided. Galo’s heart hammered as he realized how easily he’d turned away from it. Been turned away from it. <em> Fae </em>.</p><p>“It would have hurt,” the King admitted, trying to trick him with a vulnerable tone. “But that wouldn't have <em> killed </em> me.”</p><p>Galo tried to steel himself against the pull, the confidential cadence of the words. Kray had told him countless times about these tricks, told him not to talk to the Goblin King, and this was why. He was a master manipulator.</p><p>“Good to know,” Galo stood and hoisted his Matoi for added intimidation and to hide the unsteadiness in his legs. “Cuz I've still got to beat you and get justice for your crimes, and I'm pretty sure they're still making prison cells out of iron--”</p><p>His stomach sank despite his attempts not to care as the King’s expression curled once more into disdain with an extra layer of disgust. And something else, something like discouragement or sadness or hurt… but that was probably just him projecting.</p><p>Next thing he knew, Galo felt the shadows take on an edge. They swept him up in a cloud of darkness and Burnish lightning, snapping in angry sparks as it enveloped him. When finally it cleared, he was back outside the Labyrinth's entrance.</p><p>“That's not fair!!” he yelled into the air, every kind of bad feeling mixed up inside him.</p><p>“I wonder what your basis for comparison is, oh privileged <em> Champion </em>,” a familiar voice, now cold, rebuked.</p><p>His Matoi fell from the sky and smacked him in the head.</p><p>Galo stamped his foot, furious and discouraged and somehow feeling like it was his own fault.</p><p>He resolutely turned his mind away from the compelling King, determined to ignore his influence. It sort of worked.</p><p>Great.</p><p>Now he had to find Aina all over again.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p>Meis bit his lip in amusement as he walked beside Gueira through one of the castle’s highest halls. His companion was practically skipping beside him. Adorable. It made him want to ditch their check-in with Boss, pull him into the nearest room, and get right to the evening’s activities. Instead, he placed a hand low on Gueira’s back and kissed his neck, briefly enough to not break their stride, lingering enough to promise more later. He was rewarded by an arm firmly wrapped across his shoulders and a no-holds-barred lip lock that definitely guaranteed there would be more later. Meis huffed in laughter when they came up for air. Yes, Gueira was definitely in a good mood.</p><p>Gueira was always excited when they got new citizens, and he was already an enthusiastic fan of Lucia’s. </p><p>Actually, Meis got it. That woman had enough brilliance and personality bottled up in her petite form for ten people. She had immersed herself in mastering her new powers, although she insisted she didn’t need them. She had a particular affinity for electricity, which was a tricky focus but could be awesome if the talent was honed. And of course Gueira was excited to have another electric Burnish. Meis wasn’t surprised that she was family bonded with the likes of Varys and Remi and Aina, who had each taken to their elements strongly.</p><p>The other one, Kray’s Champion, was the baffling part. How had someone so closely tied to Kray’s despicable mission built bonds with such good people? </p><p>It often took awhile for new Burnish to accept the truth after they arrived. Lucia had listened and seemed to accept their explanation about the fire outbreaks being spontaneous and uncontrolled rather than intentional, was interested in the lives the Burnish now lived, and was skeptical but not dismissive that Kray was doing reprehensible things. But regardless, she insisted that Galo would win and come for her, and she was going to do everything she could to help him and reunite their family. She was loyal, that was for sure. No matter, she would face the same choice as everyone once the transformation was complete. </p><p>Gueira was always happy to have a new friend. For Meis, each arrival made him grateful once more that they had a place to offer the Burnish. That they had transformed a situation created by cruelty and carelessness into a haven for the misfits of two worlds. And it was all thanks to their Boss. </p><p>His entire life, most Fae had mocked Lio for rescuing humans and taking them into his realm to shelter them (usually from a few of the cruelest Fae) rather than using the mortals as a source of entertainment. To them, it had just highlighted that he wasn’t Fae enough to value, that his human half made him weak, that he wasn’t really one of them even if his mother was the Queen herself. Through politics and intrigue that would break the mind of a mortal, they had “accepted” his hospitality of humans and half-breeds on the condition that he create the maze of the Labyrinth to test humans who would seek Fae realms and keep them away from the connection to the Fae’s true world, Centauri. They had forced him to create something that would trap those caught within it, erase the Burnish mutants from the outside world, and threaten the very life of its ruler, who made the place bearable. Who made it <em> home </em> for everyone who didn’t fit anywhere else, in open defiance of the Fae’s original bullying intentions. It was that mortal danger to Boss that terrified him and Gueira most. They could never let anyone win the Labyrinth.</p><p>Meis felt himself unwind from these tense thoughts as he and Gueira turned a corner and saw their Boss, their beloved Lio. He was sitting in a window, as he often did, not quite in or out, balanced between places. This time of night, it wasn’t unusual to see him in casual clothes, or for him to be forming his signature fire orbs and sending them out into the night to reassure and delight the citizens below. As round and light as bubbles but brighter and filled with ever-shifting flames, the orbs caught on passing breezes and scattered out into the city and beyond.</p><p>Everything seemed normal until Boss looked up at their approach. They abruptly halted with short gasps.</p><p>His eyes. His eyes had split their colors. It didn’t happen often and could only mean one thing.</p><p>He was upset.</p><p>Lio quickly looked away and Meis mentally kicked himself for reacting. He knew Lio hated when this happened. He’d been particularly tormented by the Fae for this evidence of his dual nature. It was one of a long list of reasons Boss had worked so hard to master restraint.</p><p>Even more worrying were the little tells Meis could see up close. His usually perfect posture was overly tense and slightly curled inward. His fingers moved with just the subtlest hesitation as they worked their magic. His frown wasn’t the typical anger and weariness, it carried dismay and… if Meis didn’t know better, he would say <em> insecurity </em>. </p><p>Which was impossible.</p><p>There was no one on or under Earth whose fire was stronger. And there was a reason all Burnish looked to him for strength--no matter what happened, Boss knew what to do. He always knew.</p><p>And then Lio paused in his orb-making and raised a hand in a tentative, hovering movement. Lightly touched the cloth over his heart. Almost absentmindedly. Feeling for something. Then he went back to orb-making with a deeper frown.</p><p>It stunned his Generals.</p><p>They couldn't recall any gesture of Lio's being anything less than controlled. Certain. Confident. That slight movement would have been unnoticeable if anyone else did it. But coming from Lio... it seemed vulnerable.</p><p>Their natural protective instincts became a bonfire. Anyone who had done something to unsettle the Boss to this level had to <em> pay </em>. Meis caught Gueira’s eye as they finished approaching Lio and saw the same rage building towards whoever would expose something like vulnerability in their Boss.</p><p>Then, still not looking directly at them as they halted beside him, Lio spoke a quiet question. “You guys know each others’ Aromata, correct?”</p><p>Meis blinked. Well <em> that </em> was unexpected.</p><p>Gueira was rarely thrown by changes in subject. He threw an arm around Meis again with a grin and open adoration in his eyes. “Of course!”</p><p>Meis couldn’t help what he knew was a sappy smile in return. “We are <em> very </em> Compatible.”</p><p>Gueira <em> giggled </em> of all things and snuggled his cheek against Meis’. “Meis’ scent is lillies. It’s heavenly.”</p><p>Lio’s eyes returned to them with a look of muted affection even as they rolled at his Generals’ corny display. Meis was glad to see the eye color beginning to blend back together a bit.</p><p>“You know that’s nauseating.”</p><p>“We do,” Gueira grinned.</p><p>“Why do you think we get extra affectionate at banquets?” Meis smirked.</p><p>“More food for us!” Gueira exulted, throwing his arms high.</p><p>Lio gave a quiet huff of amusement while Gueira and Meis laughed freely. When their chuckles petered out, Lio cleared his throat.</p><p>“Um.”</p><p>Whoa, okay, so apparently that wasn’t a one-off random question and Lio actually wanted to talk about this. That was <em> very </em> interesting, since any attempt to address his romantic life, or lack of one, had always been firmly shut down before a sentence could be finished on the topic.</p><p>“Can… has anyone ever mentioned… mine? Being able to scent it?”</p><p>Ohhhhhhhh. Lio was so <em> cute </em>. The hint of pink across his nose! Meis squeezed Gueira’s hand, trying to contain his excitement. Were they finally going to have The Talk?!</p><p>It was a secret to outsiders but common knowledge to the Fae that someone a Fae was particularly Compatible with would smell their signature flower when in proximity. Lio wanted to know who was suited for him, who his partner could be! There was only one reason to ask about that! Boss was finally ready to do something about his self-imposed loneliness!</p><p>Beside him Gueira began to bounce eagerly in place, chanting Meis’ name excitedly through their mental channel, but Meis squeezed his hand and sent a warning. <em> Don’t scare him off of the subject, we have to take this slow! You know how skittish he is about letting someone get close </em>.</p><p>Meis cleared his throat. “No one has outright mentioned it to us, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened. We can, ah, enquire. <em> Discreetly </em>.” Would Boss actually take a break and go on a date if they set him up this time?</p><p>“Yeah, and,” Gueira leaned forward emphatically, “It’s not like it can’t happen after you get to know someone, either. Sometimes it’s worth trying things out.” He gave Lio a wink and Meis kicked him in the shin. <em> That’s too strong, idiot </em>!</p><p>Aloud, Meis rushed on, cutting off whatever Lio had been preparing to say. “What Gueira <em> means </em> is it’s okay to take your time. You'll find the right person some day, and like with all Fae-borne, someone Compatible will know your Aromata and grow more attached to you everyday. It’s… a really happy feeling.”</p><p>Lio was giving them a flat look. “I’m not looking for another blind not-date. And I know how things… <em> work </em> .” Then he immediately contradicted himself, his brow creasing in that unusual uncertainty again, voice taking on a hint of desperation. “But… it doesn't <em> have </em> to mean that, right?? If someone can detect your scent?”</p><p>Boss’ face… was going from pink to red. Oh ho, he really <em> was </em> serious about this! Ah yes, let’s get rid of that fear of commitment up front, the fear of being trapped.</p><p>“Of course, you'll always be able to <em> choose </em> ,” Meis reassured gently. “It’s not like you’re stuck with someone because of it. Just that… there’s a very <em> healthy </em> possibility of happiness together.”</p><p>Lio didn’t seem to find this as reassuring as Meis had hoped. He had settled into a scowl, arms crossing. “This is that bastard Foresight’s doing.”</p><p>Both his Generals blinked at him. “What?”</p><p>Lio stood, decidedly grumpy. “I need you two to do something for me tomorrow. Watch the <em> Champion </em>,” sarcasm dripped from his tone at the title, “and make sure he doesn’t advance. Or get killed. The latter is more difficult to prevent, I’ve discovered.”</p><p>Meis felt his head spin at their Boss’ abrupt change in subject.</p><p>“Uh, sure, Boss, but about the--” Lio’s that-subject-is-so-over glare silenced him like a door slamming in his face. Meis sighed. Baby steps. “Okay. We’ll take care of it.”</p><p>Gueira, effortlessly going with the flow, was back to grinning. “Now <em> that </em>will be fun. Thanks, Boss!”</p><p>Lio looked at them with a truly indecipherable expression. Meis called it Lio’s Court Face.</p><p>“Right. Fun.” Lio’s lips trembled slightly. “I should warn you…” he paused. Then a mysterious spark snapped in his eyes and they returned to their fully blended form. “He’s <em> fearless </em>.”</p><p>His Generals’ eyes widened. Someone who could impress Boss must be formidable indeed. They both stood a little taller and nodded.</p><p>Lio nodded back, his face still intense, then spun on his heel and strode off, King of his castle once more.</p><p>Meis was pretty sure he had imagined the faint smirk that lit Lio's face for a moment as he walked away.</p><p>But a Burnish captain Lio passed at the end of the hall thought their King had never looked more deviously Fae.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p>Thymos was formidable, alright. Formidably dumb.</p><p><em> When Boss said </em> fearless <em> , he clearly just meant Thymos is too </em> stupid <em> to get scared </em>, Meis thought at Gueira.</p><p>Meis hovered beside his partner, both invisible in their small dragon forms, as they watched the Champion sit his ass in a pressurized water fountain until it shot him skyward so he could get a better view. He had only a moment for a look of triumph as he spotted the right direction, before he plummeted again awkwardly into the basin of water below.</p><p><em> Well </em> , Gueira thought at Meis, <em> It’s a creative use of the landscape? </em></p><p><em> Creativity without sense is just making a mess </em>, Meis thought back to Gueira.</p><p>Meis had gotten particularly grumpy when they found Thymos this morning and saw Aina was not only with <em> him </em> , she was no longer one of <em> them </em>. Probably wouldn’t even remember him and Gueira if they met. Meis always took more time to get close to new Burnish than Gueira did, but he tended to feel it longer when they lost them. Especially someone like Aina, who he had personally taught to channel her wind powers. She had even set up a delivery service that everyone was raving about--could get anything from one place in Parnassus to another in less than 30 minutes.</p><p>And now she was trailing along behind an idiot who was determined to take away more of their people.</p><p>Meis didn’t hate that those released from the flames by the ancient Fae game magic would now have a choice to leave. He just hated the idea of them leaving. And forgetting the Burnish.</p><p>In the first hour with him, they watched Thymos almost get impaled, barbequed, and crushed, with Aina saving him twice and them invisibly providing an assist once. He didn’t avoid a single obvious danger or go through the clear steps to get through puzzles. They had never seen a worse challenger.</p><p>And then he actually found Remi.</p><p>Which was surprising, because it was nearly impossible for a challenger to find one person at random in the Labyrinth within the first few days, let alone two. It was worrying. They’d have to figure out how he did it, and put a quick stop to it before he advanced further.</p><p>But they couldn’t outright stop a Reclamation challenge once started.</p><p>They watched Remi, using a glamour to appear like an old man, offer Thymos advice as he and Aina met him in a courtyard and asked for directions into the next section. The disguised Burnish delivered an old Fae adage, equally truthful and unhelpful. “Sometimes the way forward is the way back. Quite often it may seem like we aren’t getting anywhere, when in fact we are.”</p><p>Meis snickered. Remi was such a nerd, quoting the classics. This was why he was a great host for game night, though, always made campaigns feel super authentic.</p><p>And then old-man-Remi predictably demanded payment for his wisdom. In gold. When Thymos couldn’t pay, Remi demanded a favor instead. Carry him home to his house beyond three gates. Oh, this was an interesting multi-step challenge, very Remi-like.</p><p>He told Thymos up front that he had to face the challenge alone, and that the puzzle had been broken long ago, so it was hopeless to complete. Getting home was impossible for him.</p><p>Thymos had simply given his Matoi to Aina so she could find her way and meet up with them at the end of the puzzle. (Ohhh, was that thing actually a locator, as well? That explained it. Very clever. Not good.) Then the shirtless wonder hoisted the old man onto his back and marched through the first gate into a long section that led to a wall with another gate.</p><p>Each of the three sections had Remi’s water-based obstacles that pulled with currents and slopes and slippery surfaces, blinded with rain, chilled with icy-damp breezes or suffocated with steamy humidity. Every step forward was an uncomfortable, disorienting two steps back. Designed to test the greatest of patience and resolve. Brute force was counterproductive. A standard water dungeon.</p><p>Meis and Gueira tried not to be impressed that Thymos powered through for <em> seven hours </em> without quitting. And more impressively, without ditching Remi, who had only gotten more crotchety and critical as they slooooowly advanced. Remi seemed to be enjoying his role. Early on, before his memories of Aboveground had faded, Remi had once told them that his younger brother could be amazingly annoying. On a subconscious level, he now seemed to be enthusiastically reciprocating through his game design. And yet... unlike a typical Labyrinth puzzle, this challenge was well suited for someone to get through on stubbornness alone. Which wasn’t really Remi’s style. Meis sadly realized that meant he must also want Thymos to succeed.</p><p>Meis and Gueira did not sit idly by, though. They found lots of little ways to have their own fun and burn off some of their resentment. Blowing colder breezes his way, sending little sparks through each new source of water to shock him, inciting blinding drenches of rain at the worst moments, flipping blocks over just as he had gotten to the top of them, setting Meis’ logic puzzles on the doors, which of course <em> Remi </em> hadn’t been able to resist completing instead. It was fun to see Thymos’ baffled expressions when first confronting them, though. Guiera had even used one of his favorite tricks and set a spell on the chambers that forced any occupant to break into dance when music started playing, and then began blasting all the humans’ most annoying meme songs and summer ear worms at random. The two dragons had gone limp with laughter as they watched Kray’s Champion awkwardly dance at intentionally inconvenient moments, usually erasing any progress and sending him backwards on a current or slick surface. There were a lot of bruised tailbones and ego. Remi reminded him that the challenge was “broken” but looked annoyed that it had somehow become unpredictable for him, as well.</p><p>But Thymos never gave up. Never took his frustration with the situation out on the one he was trying to help. And eventually found, yes, <em> creative </em> ways to get through at last, because he never once believed that there <em> wasn’t </em> a way, no matter how much Remi tried to convince him otherwise. Instead he was constantly counter-persuading Remi that he would for sure get him home.</p><p>As Thymos approached the end of the third and final chamber at last, his face was set in equal measures of fatigue and determination. Meis looked at Gueira.</p><p>
  <em> He’s stupid... </em>
</p><p>
  <em> But also… </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Yeah. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I don’t get it. Doesn’t seem like a Foresight goon. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Mmm. I bet Boss wanted us to get a read and we’ll compare notes. </em>
</p><p>They watched Thymos set the old man down for a moment, flexing his arms as he looked at the final short pool of water he would have to swim. Meis decided to point out the obvious.</p><p>
  <em> Remi… wants to go with him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Yeah. I don’t get that either. Although… I kinda do. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Mmhmm. It’s Remi’s challenge. It’s only fair to let it act as his choice. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> We can always send Thymos back to the beginning of the Labyrinth after this one. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Make sure he doesn’t advance to the next challenge, avoid this issue entirely. </em>
</p><p><em> He looks really tired. </em>Guiera was trying too hard to sound offhand which just made his natural sympathy even more obvious to Meis.</p><p>Meis always found it endearing. Still, he gave Gueira a disbelieving look. <em> Let’s not forget that he’s the enemy, even if he was entertaining and… not horrible in some ways. </em></p><p>
  <em> We are keeping him for a few years, though, we have a responsibility to, y’know, make sure he survives alright. </em>
</p><p><em> And he does seem pretty good at trying to get himself killed. Being worn out probably makes it worse. </em> Meis agreed, then suddenly grinned and Gueira perked up. <em> Ambrosia </em>.</p><p>
  <em> Eh? </em>
</p><p>In the rare situations that someone actually got hurt in the Labyrinth before they lost and were sent home, the Mad Burnish would dose them with Ambrosia and they’d be good as new from just about any harmful consequences.</p><p>
  <em> We can turn the final pool into Ambrosia!! </em>
</p><p><em> But you’re supposed to </em> drink <em> Ambros-- </em></p><p>
  <em> But if we make him swim in it, it’ll revive him PLUS-- </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Get him really sticky and dye him purple for at least a day! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> If anyone asks why we did it, we can spin it either way! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> We’re helping in the most irritating way possible! </em>
</p><p>With synchronized chuckles, they swooped down over the water’s surface just as Thymos got in with the old man’s arms around his neck. They heard Thymos give a startled shout as the water transformed and grinned in satisfaction. Then sat on the far bank and watched him swim slowly through the thicker, stickier liquid. At least it made him more buoyant.</p><p>But within thirty seconds, they could tell something was wrong.</p><p>Thymos started really straining for breath. His movements became weaker. His eyes grew clouded. With a final push, he made it across and grabbed the side. Seeming to use the last of his strength, he pulled the old man off his back and onto solid ground before going under himself. Meis and Gueira were in visible human form in an instant. They plunged their arms in, grabbed his wrists before he sank too far, and hauled him up onto the side of the pool.</p><p>Meis quickly changed the Ambrosia back to water. Thymos still looked drained, gasping for breath as he stared at them in confusion.</p><p>This wasn’t right, the Ambrosia should have <em> helped </em> him. This looked like...</p><p>Thymos seemed to remember that he was at the end of a challenge, and pulled himself wobbling to his feet. Gueira held his hands out to catch him if needed. But despite his struggles, Galo grabbed the old man once more and stumbled the last couple yards to the small stone house at the end of the corridor. Set the old man down at its doorstep. He finished the challenge.</p><p>“Why did you try so hard when I said it was impossible?” the old man asked quietly.</p><p>“Family... is home.” Galo sank to his knees, gasping. “Bringing you home… will bring back… part of mine.”</p><p>Just as the old man transformed into Remi, his Burnish fire evaporating out of his skin, Thymos collapsed. Remi caught him, then looked up at the Generals in pleading alarm.</p><p>
  <em> Shit. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> We need Boss. </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*****</p><p>Mad love to Quetz and Aura for the feedback and encouragement!</p><p>Do I love writing stupid? I do. I love loveable dumbasses.</p><p>Just listen to your hearts, guys.</p><p>The Aromata thing is also SO STUPID, it was a random idea (based on the 4D screenings) that I knew was bad and made me laugh and I wasn’t going to include, but then I said--hey, you wanted to experiment with this story and not take it too seriously, don’t censor your ideas before you’ve even tried them out. But then it became a whole plot element, so oh well, we’re stuck with it. XD It still makes me laugh. But I have a lot of fun with it throughout the fic, so yay!</p><p>Lot of fun in the next chapter, too, as heated exchanges change plans. And Galo jumps to a conclusion that was ALSO a blast to write throughout the rest of the story. Hahaaa, oh the misunderstandings. Love them.</p><p>Continuing to post musical previews on <a href="https://twitter.com/akadoreengreene">@akadoreengreene</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Not Long At All</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which they finally start to understand each others motives, and Galo gets new "insight" about his future with the King.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Suffocating pain burned like acid through his veins and squeezed his lungs closed. Darkness took his mind, leaving only the most distant awareness. Then in a wave of internal light, agony gave way to impressions of much pleasanter things, making him wish he could pull himself fully awake.</p>
<p>Strong arms.</p>
<p>Warm body.</p>
<p>Lips soft as petals that melted against his.</p>
<p>Intense heat. Aching and soothing as it eased through him and into his inflamed chest. Drawing the pain out and burning it away until there was only fire singing through his cells, leaving them bright with energy but carefully unsinged. When the strange blaze left at last, he missed that immersive warmth. And sank into exhausted rest.</p>
<p>With a deep breath he opened his eyes and stared at a ceiling of ancient stone and wooden beams. Neither were carved, and yet there seemed to be shapes and forms, runes and pictures in the materials’ natural grains. The clarity of the light across its surface spoke of early morning.</p>
<p>Turning his head toward the source, Galo’s heart held its beat suspended for a moment as his eyes landed on an image that condensed the essence of a spring dawn into a single window frame. </p>
<p>Perched between worlds, the Fae figure was looking outward, at the far horizon, leaving Galo to stare unchecked and process the scene in that first hush of morning.</p>
<p>He had one bare foot flat on the sill, tight breeches and flowing shirt meeting where his forearm braced on a raised knee. The other leg dangled casually out the window. Torso elevated without needing support from the wall behind it, fine muscle lines evident through the draping of thin cloth. Proud shoulders curved into a delicate but strong neck, holding a gracefully angled chin high. The soft pastels of a new sky warmed by dawn’s rosy bloom were alive in his face, the external radiance and his own indistinguishable. The colors deepened where light got caught in eyes that condensed them to rich velvet sheens. A breeze luxuriated through strands the color of sunlight shining through the most tender of new spring leaves. Except where the locks fell into shadow, there they took on a bioluminescence, the glow of secret living things.</p>
<p>And always, that rich, layered scent of roses that carried new notes--earth, floral, spice--the longer and deeper he breathed it in. Complex and balanced.</p>
<p>Galo sat up slowly, surprised to find his muscles loose without a hint of soreness. Propped his chin on his fist and his elbow on his knee. It was baffling how the Goblin King managed to project natural and casual and regal and edgy all at the same time.</p>
<p>Overwhelmingly present and yet unreachably far.</p>
<p>Galo studied his distant expression. It held a tension like it desired to turn wistful but refused to go there. An edge of lingering frost and the promise of warmer possibilities suspended in a neverending inbetween moment. </p>
<p>Galo thought he looked very... alone.</p>
<p>As if hearing this thought, the morning-bright countenance turned to look at him.</p>
<p>Galo straightened and quickly swept his gaze away, drawing it over the rest of the room but barely registering its quirky combination of finery and wildness as he tried to calm the heat in his face.</p>
<p>“You don’t have to kill yourself just to see me,” the note of humor in the King’s voice made Galo give him a side-eyed glance. It turned into a full-on stare at the momentary soft spark in those usually sober eyes. Beauty became something more endearing with the added warmth.</p>
<p>Galo shook his head to clear it. “You saved me again,” Galo concluded in a certain but unsettled tone. He turned further towards the King. “Why?”</p>
<p>The King tilted his head, studying Galo. “Did you <em> know </em> you were poisoned?”</p>
<p>Galo jolted, spine stiffening. "You poisoned me?!"</p>
<p>"No!” The King also straightened, eyes widening, then looked to the side for a moment. “Yes. Not really."</p>
<p>Galo’s raised brows pointed out how crazy that sounded as the Fae sighed and met his eyes again.</p>
<p>"You were poisoned before you got here. With Nightshade.” At Galo’s blank look, the King elaborated, “Must have been slowly, over time so you adapted. It triggers a severe reaction to Ambrosia, which is usually a healing agent. No one is naturally allergic to it." The King frowned pensively. "Makes it significantly harder to heal you if anything goes wrong in my land. Becomes a much more manual process."</p>
<p>"Manual, like…”</p>
<p>“It wasn’t easy.” The King held his gaze, guarded and grim. “Burning out the poison infused in your body.”</p>
<p>“How… did you do it?” That dream. Warm lips filling him with...</p>
<p>“With fire.” Simple. Direct. End of conversation. Shift to another. “We see this frequently in Kray’s victims. When he wants to weaken the Burnish. Break down their defences, prevent us from helping them.”</p>
<p>“No,” Galo countered emphatically, earning a skeptical look. He leaned forward. “The Order uses it to <em> help </em>, it’s a known way to build up resistance to Fae influence. So your potions and spells will have less of an effect--”</p>
<p>The King frowned and made a cutting motion with his hand. “It just makes Fae essence <em> hurt you </em> more. That’s a stupid way to ‘resist’, turning this ‘influence’ into harm. It’s practically a death wish here in the Labyrinth.” Chin tilted higher. “Foresight is doing it on purpose.”</p>
<p>Anger flared in Galo as the King’s eyes confronted him. Accused his hero of villainy, intentionally seeing the worst rather than trying to understand his motives.</p>
<p>“You’re <em> trying </em> to see bad things! A self-lie is still a lie,” Galo pushed back, and the King’s brows rose in pointed disbelief. Galo clenched the blanket still over his legs. “Kray is trying to help people, protect me, against you.” Even if the details of the situation were still muddy, perhaps misguided, Galo knew Kray’s intentions were sound. Kray always cared for him.</p>
<p>“Your willful blindness is the lie,” The King turned his face back toward the horizon, dismissing Galo.</p>
<p>A stubborn indignation filled Galo’s chest, and he demanded the return of the King’s attention by going back to the question he’d dodged earlier.</p>
<p>“Why do <em> you </em> keep saving me?”</p>
<p>“<em> Wrong </em> question.” The voice and the face snapped back to him. “Why do you keep <em> needing </em> to be saved?”</p>
<p>Galo pursed his lips, miffed. “Are you saying I’m bad at this?”</p>
<p>The King blinked, then reserved mirth relaxed his face. A responding trickle of relief eased some of the tension in Galo’s chest.</p>
<p>“You’re too good at being bad for it to be unintentional,” the King stated with a satirical eye. “It’s like you’ve been trained to fail.”</p>
<p>Galo puzzled this through for a moment. It <em> would </em> look like that from the outside. He was following Kray’s directives to a T, and it caused a distinct friction as he scratched his way through the maze. But being good at being bad at something that itself was bad was good, right? So… </p>
<p>His head was hurting.</p>
<p>But in the end there was one truth.</p>
<p>“But I’m winning!”</p>
<p>“Is <em> that </em> what you call almost dying at every turn?”</p>
<p>“But I <em> haven’t </em>, so I’m still winning!” Galo grinned.</p>
<p>“Only because we’re constantly saving you.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, so why are ya doin’ that?” Galo finished triumphantly and pointed his finger in a ‘gotcha’ motion as he maneuvered them back to his original question yet again. The King straightened further in surprise, turned a little further towards him. His lips twitched at the corners.</p>
<p>Galo really liked the way the King’s eyes got a little softer, a little brighter around the edges when silent laughter caught in them. Oh what he would do to set it free...</p>
<p>Galo took a steadying breath, threw off the covers, and stood, grateful that his legs were strong and stable beneath him. The King turned fully into the room and stood to face him as well. Galo wondered why he didn’t go into his signature hover. A ripple fluttered through Galo’s stomach as he was reminded how much shorter the monarch was. How he had fit against him, his own arms able to fully encircle the slender frame.</p>
<p>Galo propped his fists on his hips, reaching for a little bravado to redirect his thoughts. He keenly continued, “It’s not just <em> saving </em> me, either. You also gave me your name. You also gave me more time.” He pointed at his host. “You want me here. Under your power and protection.”</p>
<p>Again, the King’s surprised expression admitted he’d once again underestimated Galo. He wished his clever host would stop doing that. Then the surprise flowed into a sardonically raised brow.</p>
<p>“I didn’t expect you to <em> need </em> my protection so much.”</p>
<p>Galo ignored the not-so-veiled critique and pressed forward. “So the real question is, why do you want <em> me </em> as a hostage?”</p>
<p>Galo was gratified to see a sliver of respect rather than just surprise in the monarch’s face as Galo came to his conclusion. But, ever Fae, the King crossed his arms and countered with his own question.</p>
<p>“Why do you want to protect <em> your </em> people?”</p>
<p>Galo’s face scrunched in confusion, not seeing how that was related.</p>
<p>The King sighed as if he was having to explain something that should have been obvious. “If Foresight knows that <em> I </em> can do to <em> his </em> favorite the same thing <em> he </em> does to any Burnish he takes, I can force his restraint. You serve as a blanket of protection from him for the imprisoned Burnish. And ultimately, in the right moment, a valuable exchange.”</p>
<p>Galo was flabbergasted. “<em> You’re </em> the one who imprisons the Burnish!”</p>
<p>The accused scowled. “I <em> know </em> you are part of the Foresight Order, so you know that common lie isn’t true. Don’t insult me. The Burnish are only safe here under my care.”</p>
<p>As the King spoke, Galo got that very uncomfortable feeling again. He remembered how Aina had reacted at the idea of leaving. And indeed, she and Remi had both seemed better than fine. If this was all a trick, it was quite elaborate. But that was standard for the Fae, Galo reminded himself. He tried to keep a critical wariness up as he listened to the King continue, but it was getting slippery to hold in place.</p>
<p>“So I ask again. Why do you want to take them back? They’re protected here. There’s nowhere safer for them than my kingdom. Don’t you want what’s best for them?”</p>
<p>Galo frowned. That was a low blow.</p>
<p>“<em> You </em> don’t know what’s best for them. However you treat them, they didn’t <em> ask </em> to be conscripted. And they are my <em> home </em> . They’re where I <em> belong </em> . I know <em> they </em> feel the same way. I have to win them back. Free them.”</p>
<p>Galo was surprised to see a pool of sadness bleed open in the King’s eyes at the mention of belonging and home. Then he dropped his amethyst gaze to the ground, silent. Galo swallowed, releasing the edge of anger. He gave up trying to deny the confusing compassion he felt as he watched the downcast figure. He kept only intense sincerity in his tone as he concluded.</p>
<p>“So, yeah, even if the whole world <em> wasn’t </em> at stake, I’d still come just for them. For the chance to have our home and happy life back again. I’d face a million Labyrinths.”</p>
<p>This drew a small huff from the King, the hint of bittersweet laughter.</p>
<p>“I believe you would. After all, there is only one thing stronger than Fae magic in the world.”</p>
<p>“I’m pretty sure my burning soul is strong enough to best any Fae powers!” Galo grinned in determination, slapping a hand to his chest.</p>
<p>The King raised his gaze and gave him a dry look.</p>
<p>“Because that’s worked <em> so well </em> for you so far.”</p>
<p>Galo stuck out his chin. “I <em> am </em> winning.”</p>
<p>The King looked to the ceiling in exasperated pleading. “May the higher flames give me strength.”</p>
<p>Galo crossed his arms. “Well then what <em> is </em> stronger than Fae magic?” This would be good info.</p>
<p>The King gave him the same you’re-an-idiot look Aina had perfected.</p>
<p>“What is harder than your head?” He asked impatiently, flippantly, as if exchanging one stupid question for another.</p>
<p>Galo glared and took one step closer in defiance, pointing an accusing finger. “What’s more cocky than your dumb bike?”</p>
<p>The King glared back and took <em> two </em> strides forward, shoulders strong even as he had to start looking up at Galo now they were only a couple feet apart. He smacked Galo’s pointing hand aside. “What’s stupider than your approach to <em> simple </em> puzzles?”</p>
<p>“What’s more pretentious than your floofy shirt?” Galo flipped the collar ruffle with a finger, earning himself a satisfying look of outrage.</p>
<p>“Why don’t you even <em> wear </em> your shirt?” The King placed a palm on his bare chest and shoved him back hard. But didn’t take his hand away after he’d extended his arm.</p>
<p>“Why don’t <em> you </em> go wear your mask again?” Galo asked, frustrated as his eyes kept roaming over the impassioned visage now so near, unable to focus on anything else or tear away from its effects.</p>
<p>That pull got worse as the King brought his mesmerizing features closer again, tilted up towards him as he raised himself slightly on bare toes. “Why do you have a problem with my face?”</p>
<p>Galo’s cheeks burned. “Why do you smell <em> so damn good </em>?” He asked, voice pitched high with a note of desperation.</p>
<p>He realized they had gotten very loud, in stark contrast to the ringing silence that followed his last statement.</p>
<p>The King’s mouth snapped shut and ruby hues burst across his face as his heels met the floor again.</p>
<p>And Galo realized he was two seconds away from kissing this fiery beauty. He slammed his own lips together, an intense heat flaring up from neck to scalp and a cold waterfall overflowing in his chest. There was no way the King could miss how hard his heart was pounding as his palm seemed to burn a brand where it tensed against his pecs.</p>
<p>With a sharp intake of breath, the small but powerful Boss snatched his hand back, reversed two steps, and whirled around, leaving Galo to stare at his back. Seconds passed, his heartbeat thundering in his ears in uncanny anticipation.</p>
<p>“13 days.” The King’s voice was void of emotion. “Not years. You have 13 more days. Then you go.”</p>
<p>“Eh? Why--”</p>
<p>But the Goblin King was already gone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>Lio tried to get his breathing under control. How had Thymos gone from minor annoyance to <em> this </em>?!</p>
<p>Galo Thymos was the most… <em> confusing </em> man he’d ever met. He was so dumb and so smart, so arrogantly blind and so perceptive. It was infuriating!</p>
<p>Lio pressed the sides of his fists to his forehead as he paced through a courtyard, waiting for Meis and Gueira to arrive. He tried to puzzle through the conundrum that was Galo. <em> Thymos </em> . Galo Thymos. Or just Thymos. Not <em> Galo </em>, not so familiar!</p>
<p>He was the <em> enemy </em>.</p>
<p>But Lio was beginning to seriously doubt that. Things didn’t add up. Neither in regards to the situation nor the man himself.</p>
<p>He had expected Foresight to send someone who <em> knew </em> but didn’t <em> care </em> what was really happening. But Ga--Thymos seemed clueless. Worse than clueless, maybe intentionally misinformed. And yet today when Lio spoke, he paid attention. And he asked <em> why </em> . There was something strange about the way he looked at Lio, too. In the brief moments when he was actually listening, he seemed capable of <em> seeing </em> Lio. Which was unnerving.</p>
<p>He was clearly fighting a lot of conditioning, and maybe something more. Or maybe it was all an act! But Lio’s instincts strongly countered the idea. One of his special gifts was seeing Truth in the eyes of others, and when he had peered into Galo’s eyes back in the Oubliette, he had seen raw honesty.</p>
<p><em> Thymos </em>, he mentally corrected.</p>
<p>Willful deception just didn’t seem… him. Plus, who tries so hard to fail that you all but force your opponent to help you “win” just to keep you in the game? Actually, that would have been kind of clever if it had been intentional.</p>
<p>Lio didn’t trust any of this. If it was a plot, it was on the level of the oldest Fae players he’d ever known. Best to just get rid of him and end this whole mess. But not get rid of him in the way the mysterious invisible hand seemed to be trying to do. He had known many who preferred brutality, but Lio focused on nullifying threats. Better to remove them without inviting backlash. Usually.</p>
<p>Lio’s brow creased as he considered the sheer level of unnecessary danger that followed Thymos, from the surprise flare during their battle that even Lio hadn’t detected, to the misguided approach to the Labyrinth, to the poisoning. It was troubling. But one thing he doubted no longer: Thymos was capable of great love. His devotion to his found family would move a heart far harder than the Goblin King’s. It was almost enough to make him wish…</p>
<p>But wishes were for mortals.</p>
<p>He had received too many curses to believe in such things for himself. He knew well why the humans would assume malice when dealing with the Fae. He had been a frontline recipient far longer than any human. It would be easy to loathe that part of himself, and perhaps he would have if he had been alone. But he was bonded to others with this shared dual fate, and he knew their worth. And so he’d do whatever it took to ensure they didn’t have to be ashamed or alone. Even stand tall and accept the fallibility of both halves of himself, seek to value and own the unique qualities of both his heritages.</p>
<p>You inherit a nature but you can <em> build </em> a character, he reminded himself.</p>
<p>With that in mind, taking on the responsibilities of both the human and Fae worlds, where they intersected, seemed entirely fitting to him. Even though his very birth prophecy had declared he was meant to lose, had ultimately destined him for solitude. He could still do something worthwhile in the meantime.</p>
<p>Lio dropped his arms and stood straighter. He didn’t care what anyone else thought of him.</p>
<p>As if in contradiction, his mind pulled him back to a memory not half an hour ago, when Thymos had finally woken up.</p>
<p><em> He glanced over at the sleeping patient, only to find him upright in all his bare-chested, sleep-tousled glory, staring right at him, transfixed. The Champion quickly looked away once Lio’s eyes met his. Lio watched a line of pink spread across his stubborn face. As a contrast to Thymos’ standard perpetual confidence, this little bashful response was strangely endearing and sent a mysterious flutter low in Lio’s stomach. He wondered what this challenger saw when he looked at Lio. Then remembered Thymos had been very clear on that point. </em>Liar. Heartless. Deceitful. Fae.</p>
<p>Yes, Lio accepted both sides of himself. But some times were harder than others. And words were potent no matter who you were.</p>
<p>“Boss.”</p>
<p>Lio looked up and saw his two Generals pause in an archway of the courtyard and hesitate when they saw his face. He realized he was frowning pretty severely, and schooled his features into a more relaxed state.</p>
<p>“Sorry we almost killed him,” Gueira immediately apologized as he came forward with Meis. “You were totally right, it ain’t easy keeping him alive.”</p>
<p>Lio nodded wearily. “Not your fault, Foresight is behind this.”</p>
<p>“Foresight? Kray Foresight poisoned his own Champion?” At Lio’s nod, Meis put his fingers to his chin in concentrated thought. “Ah, and all the blatant stupidity in the maze.”</p>
<p>“And the wrong words in the challenge binding!” Gueira exclaimed, eyes wide.</p>
<p>Meis looked intently at Lio. “Why would he send someone here on challenge just to kill him?”</p>
<p>Lio nodded slightly. “That is a very good question.”</p>
<p>Gueira frowned. “Ya think he’s trying to escalate? Send a martyr and then in his name get more open support and control topside?”</p>
<p>“Or,” Meis’ eyes sharpened, “Maybe it’s tied to one of the wizard’s spells? Like a death curse??”</p>
<p>Gueira looked outraged, “He sent us a human bomb?! That fucking evil terrorist scummy bast--”</p>
<p>“We can speculate all we like,” Lio cut in calmly through the escalating tension, “But the bare fact is we don’t know the Monster’s plan. So we need to keep Ga--<em> Thymos </em> alive and send him back as soon as possible.”</p>
<p>“Ga-Thymos?” Meis raised a brow.</p>
<p>Lio shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. “That’s his name, Galo Thymos.” Lio ignored their probing looks. “Take him back to the Labyrinth. He has 13 days to fail.”</p>
<p>Meis narrowed his eyes. “Why days, why not just get rid of him today, standard 13 hours?”</p>
<p>“Lucia’s not ready yet, is she? To go out into the Labyrinth?” At the puzzled shaking of their heads, Lio continued, “He needs to take his family with him.”</p>
<p>“What?! No!” Gueira looked deeply upset.</p>
<p>“Boss, that would get him way too close to winning--”</p>
<p>“He won’t quit,” Lio cut them off. “You’ve seen him. I don’t want to know what he’d do if he got desperate. He won’t leave them behind. And they want to go. You can see it. Stronger than our magic.”</p>
<p>Meis and Gueira looked down, deflating into silent sadness.</p>
<p>“It’s the right thing to do,” Lio concluded quietly.</p>
<p>They met his eyes briefly. Then with a synced nod disappeared, off to do their unpleasant duty.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>“I’m gonna kill him myself!!” Gueira roared. Both his volume and his ability to lift a large boulder with one clawed forefoot at odds with his diminutive dragon form.</p>
<p>Thymos, Aina, Remi, and a recently Reclaimed Varys were gaping at him and Meis, both suddenly visible and furious.</p>
<p>Up until a few moments ago, the Mad Burnish Generals had simply been tense because Thymos had once again improbably jumped forward in his progress. </p>
<p>They had used a spell to automatically return him to where Aina and Remi were in the maze, as they had promised when they originally took Thymos for treatment. </p>
<p>Turns out Burning Rescue really was a dedicated team, because Aina and Remi had used the Matoi and the two day absence of their poisoned brother to find Varys themselves. While they couldn't complete the Reclamation since it was Thymos' challenge, they made sure that as soon as he returned, he'd be all set to go and get their next sibling back.</p>
<p>Somehow Thymos managed to advance even while he was out of commission. Which was very bad news as far as Meis and Gueira were concerned. They had to keep him away from the castle at all costs. And without knowing what Foresight was planning, they were also determined to keep him away from Lio.</p>
<p>By the time the invisible dragon-form Meis and Gueira arrived and got their bearings, Thymos had already engaged with a disguised Varys and started the challenge. So there was nothing they could do to stop it. Swearing to take more drastic preventative measures afterward, they crouched atop a nearby boulder to watch and intervene as needed.</p>
<p>Varys had created a pretty simple challenge, but a potent one. The Bog of Eternal Stench was no laughing matter. It really was a fate worse than death--a smell so rancid it would drive anyone insane over time. Once a drop of the bog sludge touched you, it never went away.</p>
<p>Varys had taken the form of a large, ram-like bipedal Fae creature, naturally intimidating in size but a gentle softie at heart. He was stranded on an island surrounded by the foul-smelling swamp. Thymos used his Matoi to hover over to the island, but he had no way of helping Varys leave it. Varys’ puzzle was actually quite subtle, Meis noticed. It wasn’t about endurance or cleverness, it required patience and empathy to overcome the extreme timidity the creature was displaying (quite the act for Varys). A test of inspiring courage in another, rather than relying on your own.</p>
<p>Meis didn’t expect Kray’s arrogant Champion to be capable of passing such a test, figured he and Gueira would have to step in and assist. But Thymos’ reassurances to the “distressed” Varys calmed him enough to use his own specialty: summoning rocks. Varys managed to create a pathway of stones from the island to the shore, and Galo carefully walked ahead, holding his hand to give the other courage to follow, showing him how to hold his breath so they wouldn’t get overwhelmed by the fumes along the way.</p>
<p>Meis looked at Gueira and they shared a surprised thought: Thymos was capable of kindness.</p>
<p>A rock wobbled and the Champion almost went in, but Meis used his wind to tug him upright. The idiot then took a deep breath as he looked around and immediately gagged. Varys hauled him over one shaggy shoulder and marched them the rest of the way. He set Thymos down safely on the paving stones and laughed as he transformed back into human form, with only a single wistful glance at the Burnish fire leaving his skin. Then he patted his “rescuer’s” back as Thymos coughed out the last of the fumes.</p>
<p>“Only you would stop in the middle of a stench-based challenge for a literal breather,” Varys continued laughing.</p>
<p>“Ugh,” Thymos looked green, but managed to give his brother a relieved hug anyway. “I guess the smell was even strong enough to cover up the roses…”</p>
<p><em> What? </em> Meis thought.</p>
<p><em> He’s looney. Inhaled too many fumes. </em> Gueira responded, matter-of-fact.</p>
<p>“You are not still going on about that, are you?” Varys gave him a skeptical look as Remi and Aina ran up from where an invisible barrier had forced them to wait for the challenge’s completion.</p>
<p>“About what?” Aina asked, giving Varys a hug herself and pulling Remi in, too.</p>
<p>“He thinks the Goblin King was around because he smelled <em> roses </em>again,” Varys rolled his eyes and used a large hand to ruffle Thymos’ hair.</p>
<p><em> What? </em> Both invisible dragons shared the same confused thought, sitting straight up.</p>
<p>“I didn’t smell them <em> this </em> time, but all the times before--”</p>
<p>“Galo,” Remi began in an instructive tone, “We’ve talked about this, we’ve tested this theory, the Goblin King doesn’t have a special smell. And your nose is not some kind of detector.”</p>
<p>“It is and he does and it’s roses! And it smells freakin’ awesome!”</p>
<p><em> WHAT?! </em> The Mad Burnish looked at each other in horror.</p>
<p>
  <em> You don’t think-- </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> What else could it mean?! </em>
</p>
<p><em> Oh!!! And Boss KNOWS, that’s why he was asking-- </em>Gueira wailed.</p>
<p><em> Ga--Thymos?? </em> Meis thought to Gueira and they both recalled the past few days, how upset and unsettled Boss had been after exposure to Kray’s Champion. Who was fucking <em> Compatible </em> with him?! It had to be some kind of cruel trick.</p>
<p>Acidic fury burned in their throats. Despite all their efforts to guard themselves--guard Boss--and obscure their individual characteristics when they went topside, Kray Foresight had identified their Lio’s most vulnerable spot. And lobbed a grenade at it.</p>
<p>Foresight had sent a human bomb into the Labyrinth alright. And it was much more dangerous than they had originally understood.</p>
<p>“I’m gonna kill him myself!!” Gueira roared, hefting the boulder they had been sitting on and earning a startled gasp from the Burning Rescue team who could now see them.</p>
<p>“Gueira!” Meis resumed his human-like form. “We can’t ki--”</p>
<p>Thymos had jumped in front of his siblings, Matoi on guard.</p>
<p>“Who <em> are </em> you? I’m the only challenger here, you can’t threaten my family,” he glared at the Mad Burnish in clear warning.</p>
<p>“We’re Boss’ guardians and we won’t let you have him!” Gueira dropped the boulder and instead shot forward to headbutt Thymos. They both must have had particularly hard heads because after they collided, they both drifted back, dizzy but not down for the count.</p>
<p>Meis strode forward and caught Gueira mid-air.</p>
<p>“We’re here to make sure you lose,” he clarified coldly to Thymos. “To make sure you leave and forget and never trouble Boss again.”</p>
<p>“I think they’re the Mad Burnish Generals,” Remi murmured to Thymos. Gueira let out a little sob at this evidence that they were all but forgotten.</p>
<p>Rubbing his forehead, Thymos glared at them, shouting “Why do you want me to lose so bad? Why keep this war going?” Then he got a little quieter, a little pinker. “Why is it so bad if I remember this place, remember Li--the King?”</p>
<p>Meis’ eye twitched and he decided Gueira had had the right idea. He let the small dragon go so he could pummel Thymos some more.</p>
<p>Dragon-Gueira got right up in the clueless challenger’s face, hissing fire and spitting sparks that threatened to scorch the Champion’s cheeks. “You can’t have Boss!” he twirled and slapped Thymos’ face with his tail. “You can’t come here, challenging the Labyrinth and getting all romantic and trying to claim him!” </p>
<p><em> Gueira! </em> Meis mentally scolded. He was saying too much.</p>
<p>Gueira dodged around the Matoi swung his way and kicked Thymos’ chest rather ineffectively with his little leg. “We won’t let you win his Labyrinth, his heart, or his hand!”</p>
<p>Thymos paused, eyes huge.</p>
<p><em> Gueira, you’re getting WAY ahead of yourself AND giving the enemy information!! </em> Meis was now yelling through their channel.</p>
<p>Gueira paused and a couple blue flame tears leaked out. Varys plucked him from the air and began gently patting him. </p>
<p>“There, there, don’t cry,” Varys soothed.</p>
<p>“It’s just my random onset allergies!” Gueira insisted, but buried his face in the large man’s shoulder.</p>
<p>Meis stepped forward and confronted Thymos. “All you need to know is that there is a terrible cost to winning. We’ll bring Lucia to you when she’s ready. Then you need to lose and <em> go home </em> . You won't remember the Fae, but you'll have your family.” Meis leaned forward and ground out, “That should be <em> enough </em> for you.”</p>
<p>Gueira transformed out of his dragon shape at last and stood beside Meis, wrapping an arm around him and glowering at Thymos. “We have a family and a home worth protecting, too.”</p>
<p>With that, they leapt into the air, transforming into dragons larger than horses this time, and quickly flew over the wall that bordered the next section leading deeper into the Labyrinth. With roars that shook the stones, they took off swiftly in opposite directions, creating solid walls of fire over the bricks and far into the sky. Within a minute, they had made a full circuit of the inner Labyrinth and crossed paths, sealing off the pathways with a solid wall of flames. Then they perched atop the wall and glared down, holding the blockade.</p>
<p>The Mad Burnish Generals had sealed off the Labyrinth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>Galo watched the dragons’ impressive spectacle, but his heart was hammering for an entirely different reason, his thoughts racing.</p>
<p>Because… because what they said…</p>
<p>
  <em> “You can’t have Boss! You can’t come here, challenging the Labyrinth and getting all romantic and trying to claim him!” </em>
</p>
<p>Romantic?! Wait, so challenging the Labyrinth…</p>
<p>
  <em> “We won’t let you win his heart, his hand, or his Labyrinth!” </em>
</p>
<p>Winning the Labyrinth meant winning the Goblin King’s heart and hand?!?</p>
<p>The words of the binding challenge <em> were </em> pretty vague <em> ...gain my victor’s rights… </em></p>
<p>
  <em> “All you need to know is that there is a terrible cost to winning… We have a family and a home worth protecting, too.” </em>
</p>
<p>Ah, and Galo wasn’t welcome in it.</p>
<p>Holy inferno.</p>
<p>Challenging the Labyrinth wasn’t just a demand for surrender. In the grand old tradition of peacemaking…</p>
<p>It was a marriage proposal.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*****</p>
<p>Quetz says “Conclusion jumping is not a safe sport!”</p>
<p>Aura says “Avoid poison, even from your fake friends!”</p>
<p>Author:<br/>Oh Galo. Haha. Can you tell where I’m going with this misunderstanding?</p>
<p>Promare only gave us one LioGalo fire kiss, but I’ve queued up a bunch for you. :D Even though the one in this chapter happens “off screen”. </p>
<p>We’re ALMOST THERE with these two discovering the full truth, but it’s not going to be a pleasant experience for either. Kray is SUPER EVIL. Like, c’mon, you can see everything he’s done already, you think he doesn’t have other more terrible stuff queued up for the next couple chapters? I’m angry just thinking about it!</p>
<p>Also, can we get some appreciation for our Mad Burnish Generals? They’re going to have a rough time, too. :(</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Don't Tell Me Truth Hurts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which more information leads to worse decisions.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Aina studied Galo from across the campfire. Night had fallen on the Labyrinth, and they had all agreed that they wanted their own source of light, even if it made things warmer. The night’s mysterious glow above the walls flooded Aina with a sense of loneliness. The light radiating from the barrier of fire, the dragons’ bodies, and their eyes, shone with hostility. The two were still perched there like giant cats, watching them, just out of hearing range. They had refused to talk to the humans or answer any of their questions, although the maroon dragon seemed sad to be giving them the silent treatment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite years of training to extinguish flames, fire seemed strangely comforting to her now. She could tell that Remi and Varys felt the same as they relaxed and drew closer to it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was one of many contradictions that they were continuing to puzzle through together to decide on their next steps. But Aina was becoming increasingly concerned about Galo. His face never hid anything. Immediately after the dragons had sealed the Labyrinth, Galo had a zoned out look of wonder on his flushed face. None of them had any idea what the dragon had been yelling about, romancing the Goblin King, but Aina raised both brows as she noted that Galo had definitely not seemed to object as he processed the idea. Had simply moved past it in a bit of a fluster. But as they discussed why the Mad Burnish were letting them win-lose and the myriad other details that flew in the face of their Burning Rescue training, Galo’s face had become uncharacteristically solemn. Which meant things were deeply bothering him. Aina could understand why. Because there were too many ‘why’s’. More than anyone, Galo directly approached things with conviction and an open heart. Right now he was having to deal with the possibility that both may have led him astray when placed with the wrong person. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know there is another place here,” Remi began again, looking around with a squint as if he could see it just by trying hard enough. “And I know I liked it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which is different from what we’ve always been taught by the Order,” Varys pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aina nodded. “I can’t remember anything, but I still </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> things. This place was a shelter, not a dangerous prison.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remi frowned. “It’s really frustrating </span>
  <em>
    <span>knowing</span>
  </em>
  <span> without </span>
  <em>
    <span>remembering</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You can’t be certain of anything. And it makes no sense. Why would the magic take our memories of this place but not all our knowledge?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kray always said it was impossible to know the mind of the Fae…” Galo looked up with a frown. “Maybe it’s a trick, and your knowledge is false.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All three formerly-Burnish scowled automatically at the mention of Kray, and Galo’s obvious dismay grew. He looked down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I came here to rescue you, but nothing…” he dug a hand into his hair, his brow scrunching further.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...makes sense.” Aina finished with a sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to talk to him again,” Galo looked up with a focused resolve more natural on him than the earlier uncertainty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kray?” Aina didn’t like the hint of fear she heard in her own voice. Remi and Varys winced at the name. Galo studied their reactions and his resolve grew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. The Goblin King.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three instinctively relaxed. Galo seemed to take note of that, too. Then something low in the sky behind them caught his attention. Aina turned and she couldn’t help a small gasp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a comet of fire, beautiful, vibrant Burnish flames, speeding from the horizon and about to fly over them. She would know those particular flames anywhere. They filled her with appreciation and courage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are the </span>
  <em>
    <span>odds</span>
  </em>
  <span>?! That’s him,” Aina stated with certainty, instinctively standing as the fire drew closer and they could feel its additional heat. They all stood and turned to stare as it flew over their heads, over the fire barrier, but not directly towards the castle. Then it was lost to view behind the fire. The dragons had turned to stare as well, but now they were staring at each other as if silently communicating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Varys paused in thought, then he clapped a large hand on Galo’s shoulder. “Go after him. Find out the truth.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aina nodded. Galo needed to do this for his own peace of mind, and they all needed answers. She lifted an indicating hand to her chest. “We’ll cover for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but how...” Galo began, looking at the fire and dragons in concentration. Remi shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t go head-on into trouble, Galo. Use the Oubliette.” Remi pointed to an obvious tile trap on the far side of the courtyard from the dragons. He went into his signature instructor mode, raising a finger in delight as he imparted knowledge. “You still have your boon, right?” At Galo’s nod, Remi grinned. “That’s all you need, some kind of Fae essence in you, and you can travel between Oubliettes at will. Just focus on what you want to go towards and walk through one of the walls, you’ll end up in the nearest Oubliette to your target.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo frowned and crossed his arms. “Typical Fae trickery. Creating something that would trap us humans while giving themselves free movement…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aina rolled her eyes. “Isn’t that just smart of them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo blinked at her. Then tilted his head in thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remi directed their focus to the present with a note of impatience. “You don’t have fire, so you won’t be able to open the exit from inside the way the Burnish can. But you don’t need to. Looks like the King is returning from a rescue, so he’ll be in an Oubliette, anyway. Just use him as your target for travel, and focus on us on your way back.” Remi pointed to the tile. “We can open it from here and you can use your Matoi to fly up to the Helping Hands in the tunnel and get out. It’s foolproof!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo grinned and elbowed Remi. “So even I can do it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remi chuckled and elbowed him back. “I didn’t say it was Galo-proof. You’re in a category of your own.” Then he sobered. “Just don’t take too long. Additional benefit to traveling by Oubliette: it’s their nature to fade the world’s memory of anything contained in them. So our memories of you will grow fuzzier while you’re in there, which means the Generals will think of you less and probably not hunt you down right away. But eventually we won’t remember to let you out, either. You could be spending weeks down there before someone passes through and finds you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you know all this?!” Galo demanded, still suspicious of their mysterious knowledge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what we’re hoping you can find out,” Varys’ tone was confident as he walked the few feet to the floor trap and stomped down on what he seemed to know was the appropriate tile. A hole opened up and a chill breeze began to flow out, making their fire flicker. Varys pointed to the pit entrance of the Oubliette and gave Galo a decisive nod. “Go ask the King.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two voices cut through the intense pain that pulsed through her body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first she thought she was back in the hellish Foresight lab, the researchers preparing her for another invasive procedure. The beautiful Faerie prince who had come to rescue her was surely all a dream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then she recognized the voice, smooth and calm, even as it was touched with anger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you think we are? Of course the Burnish eat. Of course we can get hurt. Of course we can die. Whether part Fae or fully human, we Burnish are all living people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The second voice spoke in a subdued, contrite tone. “Sorry. You’re right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But something about that voice was familiar, too, and it set off a surge of fear that gave her enough energy to open her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her rescuer was indeed there, standing between her and the other person, who seemed to be restrained by tangible shadows in this dark cave they were in. Both their faces turned to her as she moved slightly. Her eyes connected with the blue gaze of Kray Foresight’s most famous loyal disciple, Galo Thymos. She froze in terror. Struggled to keep breathing as she tried to inch further away in panic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thyma, it’s okay. You’re safe here with us.” Her prince was instantly kneeling beside her, an expression of empathetic suffering on his face as he gently touched her hand and neck. He glanced up, and she followed his gaze to a small group of Burnish on her other side. She shook her head slightly as she locked again on purple-gold eyes and turned her hand to grip his as tightly as she could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He works for Kray. We’re all in danger,” she whispered, casting her gaze back to the terrifying one. Whose face was evolving in growing horror as he heard her words and observed her reactions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her own panic overwhelmed her and the world started to go gray.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thyma, hang in there!” Her prince exclaimed, beginning to bend over her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me help!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No, not him</span>
  </em>
  <span>! She tried to say it with her eyes, but the prince had turned his gaze to the demon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You?! She’s hurt because of you Order guys.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m a rescuer. I’ve done emergency medical care training. I can help!” The demon’s gaze and voice took on an edge of desperation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No need.” Her prince was cold. “We don’t need help from the ones who hurt us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t…” The demon began, but then drew a somewhat ragged breath as the prince ignored him and instead placed his warms lips against hers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Warmth flooded through her, the living fire, and eased back the pain until she could almost remember what it had been like to be free of it. But there was poison in her body that fought it. Blocked it from reaching the wounds that were cut deepest. Her prince didn’t give up. Simply took another breath and poured even more of his fire into her, burning through the layers of toxic blockers embedded in her cells. It wasn’t enough. So he tried a third time. And at last, she could feel it again. What they had taken from her. Her connection to the fire that sustained her body. She smiled in gratitude even as she knew she would die. She had been part of a particularly brutal experiment. The Order had put out her fire, knowing it would kill her. And ensured that a reconnection would do the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still. She was grateful the prince had taken away her pain in the end. And let her feel the fire one last time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cold seeped straight through Galo’s core as he watched the injured Burnish die. The numbness was countered by a sick twist in his gut at the sight of true grief on Lio’s face. Heartbreaking pain pulling at delicate beauty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was all so </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He recognized her. He remembered her from one of his rescues. A flare had gotten her. And Kray had said the Goblin King took her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo gasped as the woman quickly transformed into ash. “No…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Flames to ashes, ashes to earth. Rest in peace, Thyma.” The King spoke a low farewell as the ashes began to dissipate into the air. He stood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She turned into ashes...” Galo whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the Burnish’s fate.” Lio continued to stare at the drifting cinders. Then he lit a fire in his hand. “The fire is life. It constantly burns through us and revives us, just like any living cycle.” He raised the fire until he was staring into it. “And when we no longer live, it takes our bodies and we turn to ash.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seriously?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio turned to stare at him, eyes steady and intense, lit from within.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is no surprise. All humans die. When the Burnish do, they feed the flames and burn out. This certainty is a relief to them. The bodies they leave behind cannot be used contrary to their will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo glared, a spark of anger forming as the King implied both that the Burnish were </span>
  <em>
    <span>grateful</span>
  </em>
  <span> for their fate and that the Order would use their discarded bodies. “So they’re just supposed to accept that they’ll be consumed by an evil fire that lets you control their lives? Count it as a </span>
  <em>
    <span>blessing</span>
  </em>
  <span>?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The fire is not evil.” Lio’s face was vivid with conviction, but grew harder as he countered Galo. “The flames are not vicious, simply wild. They are the tangible fuel of life on earth. And they need to burn in living things, it's the only way to both continue and control them. The fire chooses the Burnish. It is the purpose of the Burnish.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio cast the fire in his hand behind him and the other Burnish, letting it grow in size and brightness so they were surrounded by its light. The other dozen or so Burnish in the Oubliette moved closer to stand behind Lio, some dressed in unusual outfits that made Galo think they were Labyrinth residents and some with bandaged wounds who had clearly just arrived. All standing close in obvious solidarity behind their leader, who continued with a proud tilt of his chin, shoulders strong and stance wide, his presence overwhelming despite his diminutive stature.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And in order to protect ourselves and the rest of life on earth, we must find ways to burn without killing. It’s a core ideal for the Burnish. That is why we must live here, separate from the world. Here in the Underground, I can provide a place they can be safe. Together. A place the Burnish can be themselves and belong. Far from the Order of Foresight and those who will never understand them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re lying!” The response was a trained one, years of practice in calling out all things Fae as false. But it was more than that. The cry was driven from Galo’s lips in a desperate instinct to stop Lio’s words from tearing apart everything he knew. Because the implications were unacceptable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio’s chin raised a fraction higher. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> Fae </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> lie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo’s words rushed out, hasty and tripping over themselves. “Technically, but you always find ways to be deceitful without outright saying a lie, so it’s like a lie within a truth which is just extra lying-y!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now Lio scowled and planted a fist on his hip. “Do you even hear yourself? Talk about lying. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>believe</span>
  </em>
  <span> lies and then lie to yourself on top of that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” Now Galo found his own conviction and it provided a space to steady his shaken faith. “Humans aren’t meant to be slaves to Fae fire. And they aren’t meant to be alone, separated, torn from their homes and families.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio pressed his lips together and Galo couldn’t read the carefully opaque expression that smoothed over his features.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It's unavoidable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo shook his head. “Now who's accepting an easy lie? If you just stopped starting fires, in our cities, in our people, you could live like normal with the rest of us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio’s expression shifted just slightly from opaque to incredulous. “Do you really believe that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo saw the exact moment when disappointment overcame all other feeling in Lio’s eyes. “Then you’re an idiot. Why do you think she died?” Lio gestured to the remains behind him, gaze locked on Galo in an unyielding demand for integrity. “You saw her reaction, heard her words. You know. We can’t live “like normal” while being hunted.” Disappointment made way for frustrated anger as his gaze turned away, dismissing Galo as he clearly fought back his own pain. “People </span>
  <em>
    <span>aren't</span>
  </em>
  <span> meant to be experimented on, dissected, harvested, like the Order does. Kray takes any Burnish we don't get to first.” Tormented twilight eyes returned to Galo and held his as Lio’s tone became quiet and sober. “Every life is worth saving."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo could only maintain the visual connection for a moment before he had to look down, brow drawn as he tried to make sense of the cognitive dissonance that gripped his understanding. Lio sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don't force anyone to stay. But we're honest that this is what will happen to them and anyone they're close to if they leave.” Galo saw Lio gesture to the ashes. “Kray will get them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That name summoned a thought of clarity, and a corresponding anger in Galo. He looked back up at Lio. “You make the Gov sound like the Boogeyman!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio’s expression was flat. “I've met the Boogeyman. Kray Foresight is worse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The clarity grew to certainty. Galo lifted his own chin and threw his shoulders back, ready to defend the person he could believe in even when he doubted his own understanding. “I know that's a lie. I've known the Gov most of my life. I was nothing special, but he took care of me when I had no one, he gave me a family when the fire took mine, he believed in me and helped me become someone who can help others. He would never hurt people like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All the remaining anger drained out of Lio and he simply looked at Galo with a heavy sadness that almost covered the tinge of scorn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You really didn't know. What a simpleton."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pity in Lio's gaze stung like a thousand bees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry he lied to you worst of all."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo felt fury twist up from his chest and through his face, giving his voice a rough edge. “You're the liar! You're </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fae</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Lies are in everything you do! This whole Labyrinth is a lie! Everything is deception and tricks! Your hidden world. Stealing memories. Stupid games. All you Fae are just </span>
  <em>
    <span>liars</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Lio, who had been standing before Galo with very human emotions on display, became uncannily Fae. His face was lit with a furious, otherworldly glow, that invisible energy rippled and flowed through his clothes and hair, wisps of fire in every color danced across his form, and he began hovering a couple of feet off the ground. The impact of these details paled in comparison to the fire burning in his eyes, one now purple and the other gold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite the King being visibly unleashed, his voice was tight with restraint that somehow didn’t soften a single word as he methodically cut away at Galo’s assertions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fae nature may be different but we have the same range of character as humans. Being part Fae does not make someone less of a person.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo flinched and felt ashamed, but before he could fully understand why, Lio continued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You're not entitled to our ‘hidden’ world. And you haven't earned the right to be our guest. You are rude and pigheaded and judgmental. You act like you have moral superiority because you see things in black and white, while we see the pink and blue. Why would I ever let you close enough to harm my people?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo tried to hold on to the initial flare of anger as Lio judged him, but realized he’d said far worse things to the Goblin King with far less actual evidence. Tension pulled his shoulders tighter as Lio continued with his final counterpoints.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>lying</span>
  </em>
  <span> to use creativity to outwit the willfully ignorant. To require those who want to be in our places and communicate with us to understand, to use </span>
  <em>
    <span>their</span>
  </em>
  <span> wits and creativity, too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And fading memories… we've been through enough savagery to do what we must to be forgotten by those who would harm us. It is our greatest defense.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do you think I would bring my injured people to a cold, dark Oubliette?” Lio gestured to the walls. “Because the more quickly Kray and the Order begin to forget about them, the better. They won’t try a summoning spell, they won’t retaliate against others, they won’t immediately try to replace them with other Burnish for their experiments.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The best Galo could say for himself was that he hadn’t broken eye contact with the fiery gaze bearing down on him, no matter how many blows the words struck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The sooner </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> forget, the better for all of us.” Lio turned away, gesturing for the Burnish to leave through the tunnel above while still addressing Galo. “I trust you can make your own way out. And then go home and leave ours in peace."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the last Burnish had flown up and out, Lio hovered beneath the exit and glanced back over his shoulder. Through his own haze of grief, Galo could see something like regret in those eternally bright eyes as they looked at him one last time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Keep living in denial."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then he was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he’d left the hole in the ceiling open for Galo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo didn’t know how long he sat there alone staring at the ashes in the dimming firelight after the shadows released him. Breathing in and out as the scent of roses faded. His mind buzzed and jumped around without forming words until the powdery grey substance had almost completely vanished into the air. Then one sharp thought formed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That had been a person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A person he had failed to save.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Twice now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because he hadn’t understood what was really happening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t matter if he didn’t want to believe, the consequences were real.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A burning, tearing feeling started in his throat and forced its stinging way down to his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo bowed his head as he thought of Lio. Denial simply wasn’t an option any longer. There was the honesty of grief in those ethereal eyes, eyes that he knew with a conviction, right at the center of his heart, he wished to shield from such pain. As extraordinary and mystifying as that was. There was no way Galo could doubt the sincerity of Lio's words. No part of him would allow it. But as he was very profoundly learning, sincerity didn’t necessarily mean the truth was actually known.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything</span>
  </em>
  <span> depended on the truth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He needed to find it--no. He was honest with himself. He needed to </span>
  <em>
    <span>confirm</span>
  </em>
  <span> the truth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No matter how much it would hurt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No one had the right to lie. But he owed Kray a chance to defend himself. To clarify. And he owed everyone else--the citizens he served, the family he loved, the persecuted Burnish… Lio...--they all deserved his best efforts based on the </span>
  <span>truth</span>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At this critical moment, he needed to make sure he knew what it was. He couldn’t move forward without knowing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And long ago, when he was much smaller and Kray first talked to him about challenging the Labyrinth, they had agreed. Galo even pinky promised. If he got stuck and couldn’t move forward, he’d use his boon to summon Kray.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was time to face the truth.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*****</p><p>Author:</p><p>;_____;</p><p>I think I’m just going to go hide under my blanket for this next chapter. Cuddle my Galo plushie.</p><p>Thank you for the comments on the last few chapters, it's so encouraging to hear what you're thinking. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. 'Cause It Hurts Like Hell</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>No summary, I'm too angry at Kray.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once the challenge was begun, Galo couldn't leave the Labyrinth without forfeiting. So it had made perfect sense that Kray had recommended Galo summon the wizard to the Labyrinth instead.</p>
<p>Hidden here in the Oubliette would be a perfect place for their honest discussion, Galo decided. Kray would be able to speak freely without risk of being overheard and it likewise kept the Burnish away from the wizard. And vice versa.</p>
<p>Once Galo knew the full truth, he'd be able to decide what to do next.</p>
<p>But even though he was deeply shaken, locked in a feeling of dread, Galo didn't forget his family. If he was going to use his boon, it'd be an opportunity to help them as well. Magic never worked so well as when there was an exchange. So he would send his Reclaimed family members topside while summoning Kray to answer his questions here.</p>
<p>Part of him was still so certain that it was somehow a misunderstanding. That Kray would come and make everything make sense and then help him make things right.</p>
<p>This could all very well be something Galo simply couldn't understand on his own. Kray had never called him stupid, but he had always gently pointed out the areas where Galo simply didn't know things or wasn't able to figure them out right. No one doubted Kray was both smart and wise, so Galo was grateful when Kray pointed out his limitations and covered for them.</p>
<p>There was no reason this time was any different.</p>
<p>Galo stood. As the light from the fire was almost gone, Galo summoned his Matoi and activated its cool light, planting it into the dirt to stand free.</p>
<p>Then he closed his eyes and focused inward. To that warm but foreign spot, where the boon drifted within his soul.</p>
<p>"I wish…" he murmured, all his will targeting the dormant boon. And he felt it begin to unfold like a flower slowly blooming.</p>
<p>Then, there was very distinctly a presence, someone else within him.</p>
<p>He heard a voice so clear and sweet, it rippled through him and he almost began crying. It spoke with quiet majesty, and seemed to be everywhere and the only thing that existed.</p>
<p>"Ah. So you are the one."</p>
<p>He Saw with his eyes closed. She was even more beautiful and regal than her voice. Her hair was springtime breezes. Her eyes a golden summer sunset. The contours of her face fresh and clear as an autumn morning. Her expression as remote as a winter sun.</p>
<p>"Uh…" Galo stunned her with his wit.</p>
<p>She studied him with a detachment that somehow made him feel at ease. Someone's opinion of you didn't matter if you were so entirely beneath their notice.</p>
<p>"Unexpected." Was all she said, no hint of either approval or disapproval in her voice. But Galo did get the impression that she was indeed assessing him for some reason.</p>
<p>"Tell me your wish."</p>
<p>Galo took a deep breath. He had to get this right.</p>
<p>"An exchange..." She didn't move at all but Galo somehow sensed disapproval now. "Oh, um, I mean <em> I wish... </em>" Fae were notoriously strict about this protocol, "...for the three people I've Reclaimed from the Labyrinth to be sent back to Promepolis--safely--and Kray Foresight to be brought to me here in the Labyrinth… safely."</p>
<p>Simple. Hopefully no room for the Fae's legendarily creative interpretations of wishes. He knew better than to try to use a wish to do too much problem solving in one go.</p>
<p>She tilted her head, her pale verdant hair shifting away from her neck, and Galo was suddenly sharply reminded of Lio.</p>
<p>That thought was immediately followed by <em> but she doesn't smell as good or seem as… good </em>.</p>
<p>And Galo wondered what it meant that he could be in front of a literal transcendent goddess and think her less than the… person… who was his sort-of enemy.</p>
<p>"That is very simple," she said at last. Neither her look nor tone gave any hint to her thoughts.</p>
<p>So Galo just responded honestly. "Sometimes simple is best. Straightforward stuff is… comforting. And true."</p>
<p>A light of understanding made those golden eyes warm to molten. <em> What </em> exactly she was understanding was beyond him.</p>
<p>"True. Perhaps especially for someone used to complexity and betrayal."</p>
<p>Uhhhhhm? Was she referring to his situation, or…? Fae were hard to understand.</p>
<p>But he supposed he should try.</p>
<p>"Yeah." He affirmed with a smile, trying to be encouraging. To an ancient Faerie queen.</p>
<p>There was definitely a flicker of humor at that, a softening around the eyes, and she suddenly seemed more real. And again he thought of Lio for no apparent reason.</p>
<p>"Your wish is granted." She faded from his view as she spoke, her voice growing more distant with each word. He was about to open his eyes when her voice spoke one last time, the faintest whisper, but right by his ear.</p>
<p>"Take care of him."</p>
<p>Who?</p>
<p>Kray, who he just summoned? That seemed like strange advice considering how much Kray hated the Fae.</p>
<p>"You did it." There was definitely approval in <em> that </em> masculine tone.</p>
<p>Galo's eyes flew open, a familiar surge of happy warmth and a grin rising as he recognized the voice of his mentor. Everything would be alright.</p>
<p>But as he looked at Kray, that instinctive joy faltered. Galo's smile dropped as he remembered why he had summoned Kray.</p>
<p>Not because he needed help. Not because he wanted to see him. Because he needed the <em> truth </em>.</p>
<p>Galo stared at him. As usual, unable to see his eyes. For the first time, that unnerved Galo. It made Kray impossible to read.</p>
<p>"Well done, Galo. Now I can help you get rid of the Burnish curse. Free us of the lingering Fae presence."</p>
<p>Galo frowned. "And how exactly do we do that?"</p>
<p>Kray's eyes peeked open as he seemed to sense the lack of enthusiasm in Galo's tone.</p>
<p>"By beating the Labyrinth, of course. By any means necessary."</p>
<p>Galo’s gaze didn’t waver. “So it will free the Burnish?”</p>
<p>“Yes, of course. We'll free them permanently.” The hint of a smile began to appear on Kray’s lips, his tone taking on a note of satisfaction, as if he was beginning to understand the change in Galo and was pleased. “And the Goblin King will be forced to heed our demands.”</p>
<p>For the first time, Galo realized that was very <em> vague </em>.</p>
<p>“And what will we demand?” Galo didn't bother keeping the confrontation from his voice. Kray’s smile grew as Galo continued, “I don't think either of us have the right to decide about the Burnish.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Kray’s voice flowed like silk.</p>
<p>By contrast, Galo felt like one big snarled tangle. But he pushed stubbornly forward. His voice grew taut with strain.</p>
<p>“Gov, are you doing human experiments on the Burnish?”</p>
<p>Galo had expected <em> something </em>. Something to counter the dread and horror that clenched his heart. For Kray to have the right answer, like he always did.</p>
<p>
  <em> Please make this right. </em>
</p>
<p>The silence was so loud.</p>
<p>Galo sucked in a pained breath. Lio’s face, full of pity and mourning, flashed to life in his mind. A tsunami of regret was roaring towards him from the horizon, but he tried to run ahead of it, as if his own accusations could outpace it. “How could you? I admired you more than anyone! You created our city, gave us a home, you protect our world. You taught us to <em> rescue </em> people! Just because they’re taken by the fire doesn’t make the Burnish less than human! They’re still people, they still feel pain and grief, they still care, they still need our help and protection, more than anyone! You can’t hurt and kill them for no reason!”</p>
<p>In perfect contrast to Galo's growing pain and tension, Kray Foresight relaxed. “This is a relief.”</p>
<p>For some reason that sounded more like a threat than words of comfort.</p>
<p>Kray’s eyes opened wider. “It’s been irritating having to pretend and posture for an idiot. Finally, I can speak freely.” He took a deep, meditative breath. “I’ll try to keep it simple so even you can follow. The Burnish are nothing but weak pawns for our Fae enemies. I will use them to defeat that enemy.”</p>
<p>Galo felt like he was suffocating, but he got the next words out. “Enemies? The… the Fae are already gone…”</p>
<p>“Yes, they ran off to a paradise of their own, leaving their fire to rage here and destroy our world. It’s gathered not only on the surface, but deep in Earth’s core. Through both magical and scientific means we have confirmed it: in less than six months, magma and fire will rage fully out of control and wipe out all life on our planet. While the Fae who lit this blaze sit in blissful comfort, uncaring of the total destruction they left behind. The only hope for humanity is for a few of us to use this place,” Kray gestured around them. “This deformed, contaminated kingdom called Parnassus that bridges our worlds, to break through and take theirs. The Burnish will serve a purpose still. We need to use their connection to the fire to find the Heart of Parnassus, the Core, so we can open the portal through. Their lives will be spent ensuring the remnants of humanity can live, a brave sacrifice. Then we will destroy the vile Fae and claim their world. A fitting act of justice for destroying ours.”</p>
<p>“There’s nothing brave about sacrificing others.” Even with no air, Galo managed to make his voice hard.</p>
<p>“Then what would you do?” A pleasant smile, a conversational tone.</p>
<p>Galo scowled and flung an arm out in angry exasperation. “If the Fae fire is going to go out of control and destroy everything, we should find a way to stop it! The Goblin King understands the fire better than us and he cares about our world, we should tell him and work together to fix this!”</p>
<p>Kray clasped his hands behind his back and sounded almost bored. “There is no way to fix it, I’ve tried. And the Goblin King is half Fae. He must be destroyed with the rest of them.”</p>
<p>Galo’s throat closed off as he stared into Kray’s fully open eyes. Though they glowed, there was only coldness there. Kray spoke like he was wielding justice, but really it was raw spite honed into a spear point with an implacable momentum driving it towards its target. There was no remorse at the idea of destroying entire peoples--the Fae, the Burnish, even their own humans--so long as the blade struck home. Kray continued speaking, smiling again at Galo's stunned silence.</p>
<p>“And thanks to you, Galo, I now have access to the Underground and its people, without any of the pesky rules of a Challenge.”</p>
<p>A perfect stillness, thick with horror and finality, thudded into place inside Galo, like a tomb being sealed. The terrible truth settled in.</p>
<p>“You planned this. You… used me. You <em> never </em> cared.” It felt like his chest was caving in from the pain. “Gov--”</p>
<p>Galo didn’t even see Kray move before his fist struck a blow to Galo’s abdomen that threw him across the Oubliette to slam into a wall.</p>
<p>“Don’t call me that!” Kray roared, face twisted, muscles straining through his sleeves. His power glowed with an almost Burnish-like aura around his form. “Using casual terms, acting like we’re <em> close </em> ! I’ve always hated the way you fawn and claim a connection with me. How dare you assume you understand <em> anything </em> and can correct <em> me </em>?! You should be grateful. You’ve been of use to me in saving humanity. Although the irritation of your presence almost wasn’t worth the use of your boon.”</p>
<p>Galo slumped down the wall to the ground, eyes unable to pull away as he tried to make sense of this person he thought he knew and loved. An ache made his voice hoarse. “How did I never see you…”</p>
<p>Kray's eyes were heated steel. “You’re stupid and honest and straightforward and desperate for attention and affection. It was easy to convince you to be more… yourself." </p>
<p>Galo physically cringed inward. It was like a blade twisting in his gut, hurt and shame cutting through every place he was most vulnerable.</p>
<p>Kray's eyes grew distant as if seeing a fond memory. "I wish I could have seen you profoundly fail from the moment you set foot in the Labyrinth. Was the Goblin King entertained by you? Did you put on a good show of idiocy?"</p>
<p>Thinking of Lio was like suddenly grasping a firm pillar even as the rest of the world fell down. A single, sound conviction propping up everything that was collapsing inside from the identity supports that had been viciously yanked out. Lio was the one who should have had no reason to help Galo… and yet he had. Everytime. His actions had told Galo what kind of person he was, just as much as the soul shining through his eyes.</p>
<p>Kray continued. "I almost envy him. I’m sure he was enjoying himself, watching you screw up, wanted to extend the entertainment--would explain why it took so long for you to fail badly enough to finally summon me.”</p>
<p>Galo slowly stood, hand momentarily braced against the wall. He may have been wrong about Kray for years, but in a handful of days he knew Lio better than he apparently ever had his mentor.</p>
<p>“No." Here was a truth worth recognizing. He fixed angry eyes on Kray once more. "He may rightly think I’m stupid but he’s not cruel like you.”</p>
<p>“Ah. True." Kray nodded in casual confirmation. "He lets his useless emotions control him. That’s exactly what I’m counting on to find and imprison him.”</p>
<p>Alarm and fury rushed upward like a flare, but then clung to a strange new confidence in his former enemy. “You're no match for him," Galo spoke the same words Lio had used on him. "You won't be able to hunt him down here in the Underground. It doesn’t matter what kind of spell you cast, you think you can beat the Goblin King in his own territory? It’s an endless maze, and he knows it better than you ever will." Galo lifted his chin in defiance. "You won’t be able to get to him. He’s smart. And always cool. You can be as much of a lunkheaded, annoying, insulting jerk as you want to him, and the most he’ll do is drop a Matoi on your head. You’ll never get close enough to catch him. And he’ll find a way to defeat you.”</p>
<p>Galo was hoping for a frustrated reaction, at least, but Kray looked quietly triumphant. “Of course an imbecile like you would go direct. Attack your opponent himself. That’s not how you get to someone like the Mad Burnish Boss, Galo." His eyes were incredibly mocking as he tilted his head just an inch. "Haven’t you been paying attention? What am I saying, of course not, it’s <em> you </em> .” Then Kray’s tone took on condescending emphasis, like he was speaking to a slow child. Galo was familiar with that tone. “Why would someone so powerful open his realm to rejects and half-breeds? Why would he spend all his time protecting them? Why would he keep <em> you </em> in one piece when you are <em> so </em> infuriating?”</p>
<p>Galo was frozen. Kray had known all along what the Goblin King was like, what this place was like. A protected home for the Burnish. And that was the reason he wanted to destroy it.</p>
<p>Kray’s face resumed its soft, sinister stillness, glowing eyes and gloating smile trained on Galo as he now stalked towards him. An invisible force pushed Galo back against the wall and held him there. Kray stopped a foot away, looming over him, and continued with calm satisfaction. “The Goblin King is <em> soft </em> . You have to attack the heart,” He pressed one gloved finger to Galo’s chest, right over a heart that was already struggling to maintain a rhythm, forcing Galo to tangibly imagine the pain he was about to inflict on another. Galo’s eyes began stinging. “And this foolish, weak leader has given his to his people. He may only parry if you attack <em> him </em>, but hurt his people,” Kray gave a final, emphatic push with his finger before drawing his hand back. “And I can guarantee we’ll see a different side of him.”</p>
<p>Kray stepped away and grinned, a strange, eager wildness flickering through every aspect of his being, making his glow of power ripple like fire. “I’ll use the Burnish's suffering to smoke him out!”</p>
<p>“You can’t do that!” Galo cried as tears broke free and quickly formed tracks down his cheeks. The regret tsunami had caught up and was crushing him. What had he <em> done </em>!?</p>
<p>The evil wizard laughed a chilling staccato. “Still trying to tell me what to do. At least now I can find that amusing.” He turned his back on Galo and strode over to the hole high up in the ceiling. As he passed the Matoi, he kicked it over so it crashed and went dark. The only visible thing was Kray, glowing ominously with his power. He turned to face Galo, his eyes almost Burnish-like in their inner fire.</p>
<p>“WAIT!” Galo struggled against the invisible bonds. He had to stop him, couldn’t let him get Lio or hurt the Burnish.</p>
<p>But Kray just looked even more smug. “Thank you for making all this possible. Bringing me here so I can do what’s right. And for picking an Oubliette for our discussion, it makes the perfect prison for irritants." The look he cast Galo could have been mistaken for fond if not matched with the words. "This is the right way for you to go. Now I can finally forget you.”</p>
<p>In a gesture of effortless, elegant power, Kray shot up towards the opening and was gone. Through the door Lio had left open for Galo.</p>
<p>“WAIT!”</p>
<p>The pressure containing him vanished, and Galo stumbled over to his Matoi. He hastily lit it and hovered upward to follow. He had just picked up a little speed when he crashed into an invisible barrier covering the hole.</p>
<p>He tried again, harder and faster.</p>
<p>The rebound smashed him back to the ground. Heart still frantically pounding and mind running a marathon of agony, Galo stared at the hole and then turned frantically around as if a solution might present itself.</p>
<p>But there was no scent of roses this time.</p>
<p>Exit sealed.</p>
<p>He gasped. No more boon, no more Fae essence to travel through the walls.</p>
<p>He was well and truly trapped.</p>
<p>And he’d just unleashed a monster on the only one who could possibly help him.</p>
<p>Thinking of the danger he’d put Lio in almost shut Galo down completely. He dropped his Matoi, fell to his knees, and slammed his fists into the ground as steel crashed to the earth beside him.</p>
<p>Normally, in the lowest of low moments, Galo would think of Kray. Who believed in him. That made it easy to believe in himself.</p>
<p>But now there was nothing.</p>
<p>His heart wrenched with a dreadful ache as he felt the empty hole where love had been torn out.</p>
<p>There was nothing.</p>
<p>Nothing.</p>
<p>Except...</p>
<p>Lio.</p>
<p>Lio was going to be hurt, destroyed.</p>
<p>Galo thought of the pain he’d already seen on that face that so consistently and endearingly illustrated the noble feelings of the heart within. The eyes that burned with so much love and passion and compassion for his people. The lips that had never lied to him, but honored him with the truth… and a dream-memory of their healing touch.</p>
<p>In a cry of anguish, he rose to his feet. Lifted his Matoi. The tears didn’t stop, but now anger drove them more than sorrow.</p>
<p>He finally knew who the real monster was. And he’d just released him on an innocent people and the King who cared for them.</p>
<p>He had to do something.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>Heris drew in a sharp, stuttering breath, waiting for the disorientation of the Summoning to pass. When her eyes could finally focus, she saw the wizard she served standing before her in a stance of such confident pride, it made her shudder in apprehension.</p>
<p>It had taken her years to figure out that he was terrible. But in that same time she had also learned that he was inescapable. And necessary. Kray was the only way to ensure her sister survived. And that was the only thing she knew for certain had any value anymore.</p>
<p>But working for a terrible person meant doing terrible things. Her throat went tight as it always did when he smiled at her like that.</p>
<p>“You have the spell ready?”</p>
<p>She nodded, trying not to think about anything. She distantly noted that they were in a rather boring looking corridor of brick walls, just visible in early morning light.</p>
<p>Kray held out his hand to her. By default, she took it and closed her eyes.</p>
<p>Get things over with quickly so you don’t have time to think.</p>
<p>She began the internal chant of the prepared spell and its store of power. Felt her careful magical engineering merge with the wizard’s almost overwhelming ocean of internal force.</p>
<p>A minute later she released it, felt it explode out and quite literally flood through the entire pocket of space this realm occupied. An unstoppable flow of intricate and well-designed magic tore hungrily through the corridors of the Labyrinth, tearing away their glamour facade and revealing the true land of Parnassus. Clustered in towns, dwellings of every shape and size lined streets that closely mirrored the Labyrinth’s pathways. Nothing matched or seemed to have a reason for being where it was, but Heris supposed that was to be expected from a ramshackle land built out by magical refugees led by a King who didn’t bother to control them.</p>
<p>Speaking of.</p>
<p>Stripping back the veil revealed the Burnish residents, all scurrying about in panic as their comfortable home was invaded by hostile magic. But it didn’t hand them the King on a silver platter, and Heris knew he would have all sorts of powers and defenses he would deploy as soon as he was aware. They needed to control his focus and draw him out. Make him desperate. So the second layer of their spell used their own presence as an anchor to summon the Order of Foresight’s entire Freeze Force. Led by the ruthless, cocky wizard of minor power, Colonel Vulcan, hundreds of steel-armored, magic- and tech-wielding warriors filled the air in their hover trucks and began quickly and efficiently gunning down the Burnish in the streets, then breaking into their homes and buildings to take out the rest. The soldiers weren’t using regular guns, of course, they needed the Burnish alive. Instead, they shot powerful freezing sleep spells that would ensure the captives remained unconscious until woken by the counter spell. The entire Labyrinth would become a slumbering prison.</p>
<p>Exactly as Kray had planned, this served the double purpose of subduing the Burnish and drawing out the King and his Generals.</p>
<p>Heris watched from where she stood with Kray, safely out of the way, as three blazing fire-bound figures raced through the air towards the core of the gathered Freeze Force. Saw the moment Vulcan used the particularly vicious magical weapon Kray had designed especially for the incredibly powerful Fae monarch. She winced but was unable to look away as the spikes of icy iron burst from the bullet in his chest, impaling him from multiple angles. Tried to block out the sound of his scream and the cries of outrage from his Generals.</p>
<p>The Generals fought valiantly, trying to defend their incapacitated King, and Heris glared as Vulcan seemed to enjoy beating up his helplessly pinned prisoner, seemed to enjoy it even more when he could tell it was hurting the King’s desperate guardians as well. But while the Generals weren’t able to reach their King, they did manage to use their fire to block Vulcan’s entire army, shove their leader from Vulcan’s grasp, and shoot him towards the defensible castle at the center of the land.</p>
<p>Heris sighed. It would do them no good. That was where they had planned to take him, anyway, and they had fully prepared all the spells necessary to take over the center and bend it to their wills.</p>
<p>As Heris watched the Generals fall at last to several dozen concentrated sleep spells, her shoulders dropped and she sighed again sadly.</p>
<p>As expected, Parnassus had fallen. It was theirs now.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*****</p>
<p>Author:</p>
<p>Kray is straight up evil sadism in this story. I did not bother to make him nuanced. He’s just awful and selfish and manipulative and vengeful and likes the pain of others. I don’t actually think it’s that far off from movie Kray. XP</p>
<p>The biggest difference is probably that he’s connected with Lio’s past in this version.</p>
<p>And that he more directly conditioned Galo from a young age. ;_; Baby.</p>
<p>Onward. From bad to worse.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Live Without the Sunlight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which breaking leads to new bonds.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Note: There is mention of torture but nothing described. There is blood mentioned several times though.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was, by far, the worst week of Galo's life.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Time had no meaning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The darkness never varied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The pain never lessened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead it grew as days stretched on and his mind called up one terrible scenario after another. Lio, the Burnish, the world, all suffering the worst fates in vivid detail. Kray's cruel eyes never left his thoughts, always reminding him, convincing him, of the extent of depravity that was likely being inflicted on those he targeted. Those Galo had released him to harm. With no way of finding out what was actually happening, every horrific possibility Galo's mind could come up with became reality. All of them, all the time, parallel universes of agony and fear constantly running on repeat in his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He tried to never stop moving until exhaustion forced him to pass out. He spent every second digging. He had started tunnels in three directions. Eventually, he had to hit something. Right?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was the only hope he had. It's not like anyone would even remember to look for him. And he couldn't save anyone else if he couldn't save himself first.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That week, two things saved his fragile sanity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Matoi. Not only because he could use it for digging rather than destroying his hands worse than he already was, but it provided light that could temporarily block out the mental images the darkness made real. It also reminded him of his family. Reminded him why he never gave up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The other preserver of his sanity was Heris.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It surprised him the first time she showed up. He didn’t know how she remembered he existed. She had brought him food and a jug of water. He didn't even remember that he was hungry. She told him it had been two days. But she wouldn't tell him anything else before she hurried off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sometime later she came again. This time the thirst and hunger had become distracting. She stared at his bloody, swollen hands. He asked what was happening in the Labyrinth, what had happened to Lio. She wouldn't answer, but the muted devastation in her eyes as they connected for a brief moment made all the terrible scenarios scream back to life in chaotic tumult in his mind. He dug frantically until his brain shut his body down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The third time she came, he couldn't quite remember how to make sentences work. He tried to ask about Lio, but as usual, she wouldn't answer. He realized he was sitting instead of standing, although he didn't remember getting into that position.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She set down the food. He just stared at it for a moment. She clenched her hands together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It will be over soon. You should try to enjoy your last meal."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He just looked at her, too weary to form an expression. He put his remaining energy into his words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Why are you doing this?" His voice was scratchy. "Why are you helping him destroy everything? Aina was always so proud of you. Told me you were a good person."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She frowned and stiffened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm doing this for Aina. I would do anything for her."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"She doesn't know, does she. She would hate what you're doing." A sharp flicker of internal pain lanced through him as he thought of his cheerful sister. "She won't be able to live with this once she knows."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grim fury tightened Heris' face. "I'm her </span>
  <em>
    <span>real</span>
  </em>
  <span> sister. You talk like you know her better than I do."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo sighed. "Clearly I do."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heris glared through tears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"He's suffering."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo sat up straight as her words shot a burst of adrenaline through him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"He's pinned through with iron. It constantly eats away at his life. Kray… isn't kind. He wants something but the Goblin King won't tell him. Says he doesn't know where it is. Kray knows he can't lie. But he pretends not to believe him. He knows the Burnish are his weak point. Breaks them instead." Heris sobbed. "It breaks him, too."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo barely registered when she left. He stood. Ignored the food. Picked up his Matoi with barely functioning hands. And went back to digging.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Only this time instead of a thousand possibilities, there was one scenario on loop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was worse than before.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>****</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was one of the top three worst weeks of Lio's life.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Time crawled by in agonizing slowness. There was no possibility of escape into sleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was surrounded constantly by the burning cold light of the icy energy running through the bars of his cage and the bars of iron piercing his body. They had used the spines sticking out from the bullet inside him to mount him in the middle of the cage, feet dangling above the floor. They put him in the middle of the throne room so Kray could enjoy his suffering whenever he sat in the Goblin King's usurped seat. The metal rattled as Lio shivered persistently from the terrible freezing power coursing in a non-stop current through his chest to every far extremity. It slowed the bleeding to a non-lethal amount.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The pain never lessened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was just enough cold iron woven just right through his body to almost kill him, to draw all the fire he had plus just an agonizing little bit more. He had no idea how a human like Kray would have figure out so perfect a torture and containment device for a Fae of his exact strength.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But this pain was far less than the devastation of watching, feeling, each Burnish die as they tormented and killed his innocent people. While he was pinned, helpless to help them. He used every last flicker of his fire in those moments, trying to push back the ice so he could move, but it only seemed to make the ice stronger, drain his flames faster, make him bleed quicker, so he had less to fight with the next time. Kray smiled like he knew. And he did seem to know. Just how long to go between victims. After Lio would burn himself out almost all the way… but not quite... there was just enough time for partial recovery, then repeat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was going to kill Kray Foresight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio figured out that the only reason he showed restraint rather than wholesale slaughter was because he apparently actually needed the Burnish for some spell. He was going to use them, take their fire, their lives, to further his cruel delusions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was going to kill Kray Foresight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he wasn't there gloating at Lio, Kray was back in the city he ruled Aboveground, acting like a wise and benevolent leader. He had broken Parnassus’ threshold and was able to come and go at will. Lio didn’t know how he had done it. No one granted access to the Labyrinth could move freely between worlds unless Lio allowed it. He couldn’t think of anything else that currently existed in this world that was powerful enough to break the ancient game magic. But Foresight had found a way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was going to kill Kray Foresight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The only person Lio saw who didn't seem wholly depraved was the beaten down witch Kray had apparently enslaved. She reminded him of someone, but he couldn't clear his mind enough to figure out who. Of course he was gagged, so he couldn't talk to her. And she never made eye contact.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So he waited. Full of pain and without hope. This had, after all, been foretold. The prophecy given to him had warned that all he cared for would be destroyed. But he would never stop fighting for the Burnish. So he was watching. It only took one little moment of opportunity. One mistake. And he was going to be ready to take full advantage. He was Fae, after all. He knew how to play a long game.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was going to kill Kray Foresight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Kray was not patient. And so a week after Lio's capture, he had his witch unleash a spell she had apparently been preparing for days. For some reason, Kray had her cast it while he remained Aboveground.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Based on the words she spoke, Lio could tell it was a location spell. He really had no idea how Kray heard about the portal to the Fae world, or how he had come up with the idea that there was a key he needed to find to open it. That's not how it was supposed to work. The Labyrinth was designed to open the portal once someone won. And the Fae who had originally politically manipulated the situation required the King’s death if he failed to win and keep the interdimensional pathway safely closed. His own mother had overseen the final rules and enchantments, so he knew it was solid and unchangeable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kray was just… insane. Probably heard some tale and thought it was true. And was willing to kill everyone to fulfill it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One more reason he was going to kill Kray Foresight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Heris’ spell completed he could hear them, the Burnish, trapped unconscious but screaming in pain as their fire was forcibly ripped from their bodies. Their pain connected with his own fire and it was white hot agony. A voice was howling in muffled anguish, his voice, pushing past even the gag filling his mouth to fill the castle. The spell harvested a storm of fire from the Burnish and brought its power to Heris to use, but humans really didn’t understand. The fire was life. And as such, it had a will of its own. This will drove its connection to people. Some called it synchronicity, some channelling, but Lio considered it a kind of loyalty, respect. It knew him, and listened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So filling his throne room with a torrent of Fae fire, Heris didn’t stand a chance of keeping control. Not when the last of the High Fae on Earth was present. Not when the fire was so fond of him. Not when his anger was now as strong as the rage of the deep flames, the Wildfaere, twisting in the magma far below. He had long tried to call to them over the decades, to understand their fury, but they only ever cried out wordlessly and lashed out in the unguided flares that struck the earth’s surface.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But for once, Lio didn’t want to calm them. This time, he was going to join them in their rage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was going to kill Kray Foresight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He could feel their violent approval as they heated his body to full burnout, turning him to black fire. Melted and pulled the iron from his flesh, turned his cage into a molten puddle. He saw Heris, terrified, but she wasn’t his target. He let her vanish in a teleportation spell, before all he knew was the roar of the flames as he joined their embrace fully. Crashed up through his castle. But the enemy wasn’t here in Parnassus, and the fires couldn’t wake the Burnish on their own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He needed to hunt the monster down in his own land.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Time for Above to meet the Underground.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He slammed up through the earth like a volcanic eruption, tearing through layers of the crust, past dimensional barriers, bringing the whole of Parnassus with him. He wasn’t going to leave his people behind, unguarded. He was going to make the enemy release them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was going to kill--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>”KRAY FORESIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo’s arms were all but useless now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His hands had finally gotten bad enough that he could no longer hold the Matoi tightly enough to use it as a shovel. So he had started digging with those raw fingers and palms, ignoring the pain and the tearing until they were too weak for even that. Then he had tried his elbows without much success. When they were unusable, he started kicking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Until he lost his balance and fell over onto his back. He lay there weakly panting, barely able to think past the terrible thirst. Trying to figure out if there was a way to push himself back up without putting weight on an area where the skin had been worn away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then he heard a scream. It echoed from everywhere, slightly muffled but no less potent in its story of pain. He was on his feet in an instant, looking desperately around, trying to find the direction it might be coming from.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It sounded like nothing he’d ever heard before, and yet he knew who was screaming.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And he screamed back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Until the ground itself shook and gravity suddenly seemed to double and the tunnel he was in began collapsing. He ran back to the Oubliette and entered the hated chamber just as the dirt sealed off the passage he had spent blood, sweat, and endless time carving out with the last shreds of his hope.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then gravity tripled and he found himself pressed to the ground again as it continued shaking. Somewhere along the way the scream had changed to a tremendous roar that pressed against his eardrums until they ached.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then he floated up and smacked into the ceiling before dropping to the ground again. And he realized--the whole place had been moving, traveling upwards at incredible speeds. And they had just stopped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A slight breeze drifted across his skin, the first hint of fresh air he’d had in days. The darkness was no longer complete. Sitting up painfully one more time, Galo’s jaw dropped as he saw the side of the Oubliette now opening into what appeared to be a sewer tunnel. He could see spots of light filtering down from regularly spaced ladders along a narrow walkway beside a flowing stream of waste water.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He heard another roar, the fury of something massive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He scrabbled fully upright, grabbed his Matoi and held onto it as best he could. He stumbled into a run. It only took a surreal moment for him to climb the first ladder, awkwardly using feet and the inside crook of his elbows. Used his shoulder to heave the manhole cover aside, and stared at the scene around him as he stood halfway through the opening.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was Promepolis.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was the Labyrinth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bizarrely mashed together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Quirky Burnish buildings squished in alleyways, merged through all different levels of the skyscrapers, pushed through storefront windows, perched atop electrical poles, and sat on street corners. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And just about everything was on fire. Fae fire. It licked across streets, wound through buildings in large flares, tore hydrants from sidewalks, and lit the tops of almost every building like a city of birthday cakes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Clusters of nearby Promepolis citizens were staring in horror at the unconscious Burnish bodies engulfed in flames and scattered across their streets and sidewalks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the thing that commanded Galo’s attention through this spectacle was the enormous fire dragon moving down the street in front of him. It was stunning in size, power, and grace of movement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was Lio.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He would have known even without the scent of roses… </span>
  <em>
    <span>burning</span>
  </em>
  <span> roses, the floral scent charred and heavy with ash as it filled his lungs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s crying,” Galo’s voice was a soft ache as he gazed up, devastated by the trails of blue fire that flowed from the dragon’s eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then the dragon’s furious voice shook the street and shattered the windows for half a block.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“KRAY FORESIGHT! COME OUT AND FACE ME! FREE THE BURNISH OR I’LL BURN YOUR WHOLE CITY DOWN! I’LL SHOW NO RESTRAINT OR MERCY!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sinking nausea gripped Galo’s stomach as he pushed himself free of the manhole.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kray had done it. He’d used the Goblin King’s compassion for his people to break him. Careful, reserved, passionate, kind Lio had been driven to this extreme violence through hopeless pain. Galo had to do something. He couldn’t let the torment destroy Lio further.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“LIO!” he called, running after him as fast as his adrenalin-filled legs could fly. But the dragon was faster, and within moments, Galo was left behind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sped up, free at last to run after the one he needed to protect after an eternity imprisoned. The pounding in his ears almost drowned out the sound of engines. Movement caught his eye and he glanced over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What. Were. The. Odds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Captain!” He had never been happier to see someone. He began pointing frantically after the dragon as he ran beside the Burning Rescue leader’s car. “Fire! Lio! I need to get there!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ignis slammed on the brakes, and the Rescuemobile behind him immediately followed suit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Galo!” Aina cried as her hover craft lowered beside him. She was blinking and shaking her head as if just remembering he existed. Which was probably exactly the case. His name was repeated in varying tones of amazement and relief and accusation by the three other members of his team as they emerged from their vehicles and surrounded him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How did you get back? What the hell is going on with the city?” Ignis asked in his no-nonsense tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No time!” Galo began desperately. “I need to get up there, need to talk to Lio--the dragon! Or the whole city’s gonna burn!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened to your arms??” Aina cried, taking in their torn and bloody appearance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No time!” Galo repeated, turning to the Rescuemobile and it’s mech launcher.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aina caught on quickly, as she usually did. “Lucia’s not here to man the launch, it’ll be faster if I take you myself! Get in your armor!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No! That will hurt him!” Galo was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to do anymore damage to Lio by smashing into him with more steel. “Just take me up!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hold on!” Varys called and ducked back into the large vehicle for a couple seconds, emerging with a giant vat of flame retardant goo. He and Remi upended it on him, and Galo grit his teeth as it stung its way almost unbearably over his wounds. Ignoring the pain as best he could, he quickly wiped the goo from his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perfect!” Galo cried, grateful for his team’s faith and support. Without further conversation, he shoved his Matoi at Remi for safekeeping and dashed into the hovercraft.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Aina hopped in the pilot’s spot and took off, Galo realized he wasn’t alone in the hovercraft bay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing</span>
  </em>
  <span> there. A strange almost-human black and white translucent figure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ahhhh!! Aina, there’s a ghost in here!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s Deus!” Aina commed back. “I’ll explain later!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am the ghost of the Grand Wizard Deus Prometh, founder of this city.” Galo backed away as it started talking. “A friend of Ms. Aina’s from the Labyrinth. Its current condition has released me to be here Aboveground--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t care!” Galo cried, activating a side panel so he could lean out and look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had almost caught up to Dragon Lio, and a fresh wave of horror crashed over Galo. The dragon was wrapped around Foresight tower, directly facing Kray as it gathered a blinding ball of fire in its mouth to attack.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Kray was </span>
  <em>
    <span>smiling</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Standing there atop his tower, about to be blasted into kingdom come, grinning like he’d won.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kray </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted</span>
  </em>
  <span> Lio to attack him with his fire, Galo realized. He had no idea why, but he leapt from the plane as soon as Aina pulled overhead. Determined to stop Kray from accomplishing whatever twisted plan he had for the Goblin King he had tormented into this mad action.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo landed with a squishy splat right on the dragon’s nose.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was HOT, but the goo prevented him from immediately burning to death.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Galo!?” Kray sounded unpleasantly baffled. Galo glanced over his shoulder at the governor, and enjoyed a twisted satisfaction at his stunned expression.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kray really had forgotten him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And it had given Galo the element of surprise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo spared only a glowering smirk at him before turning back to what really mattered. This wasn’t about Kray.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“LIO! LIO FOTIA!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As if summoned by his true name, Galo could suddenly see the King revealed, like he was staring through the fire body of the dragon and looking at the heart within. And it almost broke his own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio’s figure was burning so hot it was completely black. His form had contorted to jagged, wispy edges. His eyes were pulled wide and unblinking, completely overtaken by white-hot flame, unrecognizable. Blood was seeping out from multiple round wounds across his whole torso, floating in languid droplets until it fed the fire. His expression was locked tight in rage and pain.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lio,” Galo whispered, and the sound of the name seemed to anger the rampaging Fae.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“GALO, STAY OUT OF THIS!!” Lio screamed, exploding with that teal-white fire that burned without destroying. The dragon reared up and back, roaring in agitation as it tried to shake him off. Galo clung on for dear life.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The fire burned away at his protective coating. He had to be fast, he only had a few seconds before he’d lose his grip with the increasing heat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“NO!! LIO, YOU’RE DESTROYING YOURSELF!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The last of the flame retardant on his hands burned away, and it was just his mangled skin pressing against the fire.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The fire was hot, scorching... and yet it didn’t burn him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fae.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ever the contradiction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But for the first time it occurred to Galo that that might not necessarily be a bad thing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t burn him, but he was already bleeding and the red life’s fluid mixed with the fire just as Lio’s had done. The dragon suddenly went still. The dark figure within gasped and looked at Galo, frozen for a few seconds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo took advantage of the moment of connection, praying Lio would listen even though he had no right to be heard. “Lio, this isn’t you! This is </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> turning you into his weapon! </span>
  <em>
    <span>You’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> the one who </span>
  <em>
    <span>prevents</span>
  </em>
  <span> the fire from killing people!” Galo gestured to the city and the dragon turned its head to look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo watched the fury turn to shock in Lio’s face as he gasped again, seeing the mangling of two worlds he’d smashed together into conflict and mutual destruction as they burned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio shook his head in dismay. “Every life is precious.” Lio’s voice was hoarse, burnt out and torn from screaming, but Galo thought it sounded more like him than the clearer roaring had.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo felt a disorienting shift within and around him, the movement of an epic invisible force. Then it was like a vacuum was suddenly pulling the flames in, a torrent of fire coiling into the Goblin King's tiny, overheated body as the dragon's massive presence disappeared. The people and places of the Underground that had manifested throughout Promepolis seemed to melt away, shifting and disappearing below, leaving the city much as it had been, though still on fire.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he pulled the last of the engulfing blaze inward, Lio's face froze in a strained grimace, his eyes still blown unnaturally wide. His body stiff, he began to fall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Galo, YOU IDIOT!” he heard Kray scream, but it was unimportant background noise to the rescue Galo realized was now needed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With the dragon’s support gone, Galo fell as well, and he directed his plummet towards Lio until he was able to clasp him in his arms. For the first time in more than a week, they were no longer useless.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And as expected, Aina expertly caught them in the hovercraft bay and blasted off from the scene.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had barely hit the floor when Lio broke from Galo’s grasp and turned to face him, enraged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No! I need to go back! I NEED TO KILL KRAY FORESIGHT!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a testament to Lio’s state of frantic confusion that when he swung a fist at Galo, Galo easily caught it. It sent a flare of pain up his damaged arm, but he ignored it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No! You’d be playing right into his hands! We have to act on what </span>
  <em>
    <span>we</span>
  </em>
  <span> know is true! You don’t kill without--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> Order monsters who are killing, destroying the Burnish--” Lio pulled his other fist back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, they deserve to be saved! But this isn’t the way we can defeat someone who believes the opposite!” Galo’s words halted Lio’s wild movement. Galo shook his head and wrapped his hands around the fist he still held, tone begging Lio to listen. “He </span>
  <em>
    <span>wants</span>
  </em>
  <span> you to play by his rules! I know, he betrayed me the same way. We can’t keep playing his game for him! We need to find our own way to win--because what </span>
  <em>
    <span>we</span>
  </em>
  <span> believe is the </span>
  <em>
    <span>truth</span>
  </em>
  <span>. We’re not going to </span>
  <em>
    <span>destroy</span>
  </em>
  <span> at any cost.” He pulled Lio a little further in, cradling his clenched hand, blood mixing with fire. “We have something worth </span>
  <em>
    <span>protecting</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio continued to tremble violently with repressed energy. He looked at Galo in further confusion. “We?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then his face crumpled. He jerked his hand back and shot forward, smashing into the side of the bay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There is no we!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He flung himself upward, crashing into the ceiling, blindly trying to escape, ignoring even the bite of the steel as he made brutal contact.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He took them all!” Lio wailed, blasted into the back hatch, bouncing off with a pained cry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The figure of dark fire dropped to the floor panting, trying to keep as little of his body from contacting the metal as possible. “Not another prison… I have to free them… I have to protect…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had to get Lio out of here! Galo dropped to his knees and wrapped his torn arms around Lio again, lifting him into his lap so he wouldn’t be touching the essence-eating steel. He didn’t know whether to be happy or sad that Lio didn’t resist. “I’ll get you out of here, just hold on a little bit longer.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Damn</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Lio was shaking so badly…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s in overburn.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo jolted at the sound of the voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh yeah, there was a freaking ghost in here with them. He stared at Deus’ strange presence then processed what he’d said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Overburn?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s full of the Wildfaere. It has an irrepressibly strong call to blaze, a will to be completely unsupressed. It’s… primordial.” The ghost was looking sadly at the shivering Fae figure. “It’s a miracle he didn’t simply blow up the whole city in one go. That is some incredible restraint right there. Impressive strength of heart.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo tightened his arms, wishing he could do more to comfort the overwhelmed King.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It will take him awhile to calm, and it won’t be easy. If there was a place he could release some of the heat without danger…” Deus frowned in thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo straightened with an idea.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aina!” he called through the open comms of the bay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You okay back there?” Aina’s voice replied. “Glad you got him calm. Just talked to the Captain, he’s covering for us so we can find a place to hide him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo nodded. “Take us to the cabin!” he called back, then looked down at the wide-awake but catatonic Burnish Boss in his arms. “Let’s see how much a whole lake of ice can help cool you down.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Cabin. His Burning Rescue family unit’s retreat, used for fun as much as for training camps. The “secret spot” they had built themselves, off the grid, beside a lake kept magically frozen all year round.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whenever they had a tough time, were feeling upset or run down, this haven had a way of cooling them down and restoring them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo prayed it could do the same for Lio.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aina steered into a landing half mile down the shore from their cabin. As soon as the hovercraft got close enough to the ground, Galo jumped the last few feet and dropped to the lakeshore with Lio still in his arms. He knelt down and faced the overpowered monarch towards the frozen lake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s pure ice!” Galo explained to him over the hum of the engine. Lio shivered harder, pressing back against him at the mention of ice. “It can take a lot of heat! You don’t have to hold it all in!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio seemed to slowly process this, then he pushed off from Galo and hovered several feet in the air. The night breezes rippled through the outline of the dark fire still encompassing his body. Then he turned and looked back at them over his shoulder, eyes still wild but more congnizant.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get back!” Lio yelled. The glow around him began to intensify, and Galo could feel the sudden heat as this vessel of fire began to release his tight hold.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How far??” Aina cried as she boosted the engines again. Galo raced to the bay, determined to get out of Lio’s way so he wouldn’t have to hold back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Far!” Galo cried, hopping in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio’s burn intensified and the heat chased them as they zoomed out of range.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aina had gotten them almost to the other side of the lake when a flash followed by a persistent blast of light and heat almost swallowed them. And then the steam </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They held on the best they could and tried to ride out the turbulence, completely blind to their surroundings. The onboard tech was blaring all sorts of alerts. The ghost seemed mostly undisturbed, but the two humans were panting by the time it died down. Aina carefully navigated back toward their cabin using only the hovercraft’s sensors. But she was the best pilot Galo knew, so he wasn’t surprised when they landed with just a small bump in front of their miraculously intact home-away-from-home. The side of the cabin towards the lake looked a little scorched, but their fire-resistant building skills had paid off. As Galo looked around, he marveled that even the trees were just singed a bit. The Goblin King had done an amazing job of preserving the surrounding landscape by directing the fire toward the frozen lake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Which now existed solely in the air. The basin was empty, its water now a whole skyful of angry-looking cloud banks as far as the eye could see, roiling as the air moved in response to the changes in temperature and humidity. Thunder rumbled and frequent bursts of lightning tumbled through the clouds that seemed to be racing towards the still-burning Promepolis in a drenching cascade.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aina stood beside Galo, fists on her hips as she stared open-mouthed at the sheer scale of unleashed nature. “Well. That should put out the fires and keep everyone busy. Where’s--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A figure dropped from the sky in front of them, then fell to its knees.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gone was the erratic outline of fire. The white-hot eyes. The burning black. Instead his shape was a ragged version of his usual form. And he was completely gray. Skin, hair, even his eyes, were the color of burnt charcoal. He was still shaking with pent-up energy, but it seemed to have retreated deeper into him in its reduced state, like the center of a log still burning while the outside had turned to ash.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Better,” Deus’ voice startled Galo again. “He may be able to process the rest by morning. We need to keep him safe until then.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo nodded and cautiously walked over to the burned-out Fae. “Lio?” He kept his tone low and soothing. Lio didn’t respond in any way, so Galo scooped him up again, blinking in surprise at how almost-weightless he had become. As if he were actually made of ash. Galo held onto Lio a little tighter as a strange fear stole over him, and he hurried after Aina to the nearby dwelling and its first aid supplies.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But as soon as they entered the large cabin’s main open area, Lio stirred as if sensing they were inside. Then before Galo could react, the feather-light figure had burst from his arms and darted to hover in a corner of the ceiling, curled up with his back pressed to ceiling and wall, arms around his legs. Grey eyes peeked over knees and watched them. A trail of large cinders tracked behind his aerial path, and Galo realized that his clothes were actually shredded, charred, and flaking off him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lio,” he called, and began moving in his direction, but Aina’s hand halted him. She stared at the distraught form of her former Boss in an understanding beyond Galo’s.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Give him a little time to collect himself and find his balance again,” she said softly as Lio curled further inward and rested his forehead against his knees. A drop of blood fell to the floor. Then another. Galo gave her a tortured look, but she just shook her head. “You look almost as bad as he does,” she walked him towards the bathroom, a gentle hand turning his arm over as she inspected it. “I’ll keep watch over him while you wash off and I’ll bind these when you’re done.” She cringed as she looked at the dirty abrasions on his hands and arms. “And you can tell me exactly what happened.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Compared to the unresponsive gray ball in the corner and the exhausted, ashen-faced brother in front of her, Aina was practically glowing with fury. Galo was content to let her carry that emotion on their behalf for awhile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck him,” she said for the hundredth time as she tied off the last bandage around Galo’s arm. He didn’t think he’d ever heard her use those words before tonight. “Fuck that </span>
  <em>
    <span>asshole</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” She threw the gauze roll back into the first aid box and snapped the kit closed. Her face was darker than the storm clouds outside. “He messed with the wrong family.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She turned her simmering glare up towards Lio. “Why did we </span>
  <em>
    <span>stop him</span>
  </em>
  <span> from turning Kray into a pile of ash?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was a set-up, with a lot of collateral damage,” Galo reminded her wearily. He tugged at the slightly loose waist of the spare khaki shorts she had found in his drawer and tucked the fitted black shirt in more securely. Apparently eating almost nothing for a week led to a loss of body mass. At least he’s been able to drink plenty of water at last.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She growled at him with a scowl that dropped to something much sadder. They had left the inside lights off in consideration of Lio and worked by the outside lights that filtered in through the kitchen windows and reached the couch and coffee table they were sitting on. The shadows highlighted rather than hid the pain in Aina’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She knew, didn’t she,” the ache in Aina’s voice settled in Galo’s heart. “This is what she’s been working on with him all this time, isn’t it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo never lied, but he took no pleasure in hurting people with truth, either. So he just nodded. Aina closed her eyes and hung her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then in a small voice asked, “Do you think she’s too far gone to save?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo took a deep breath and offered what he could. “She helped me. Brought me food and water. She’s the reason I’m not dead.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aina gave him a devastated look at the mention of death and then pulled him into a tight hug. “I am so sorry, Sunshine,” she whispered his family nickname as she held him close and Galo pressed his face to her shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We didn’t forget you, you know,” she murmured as she pulled back and made eye contact again, hand over her heart. “This past week, it was just like… we forgot to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>worried</span>
  </em>
  <span> about you. But we still expected you to come back.” She half-smiled. “Man, this memory stuff is crazy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo was so tired. But the same thought that had haunted him all week continued to pulse in his mind relentlessly. At least he could finally admit it to someone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know if I can fix this.” His voice carried the anguish inside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aina’s lips tightened, but her eyes grew soft with compassion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s stormy now, but…” She started the phrase their family used in difficult times, leaving it an open prompt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo almost remembered what smiling felt like. “...the sun will come out--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They finished together, “And show us all the colors.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re going to be okay,” Aina promised, hand on his shoulder. “We’re a team. Got your back. We’ll finish this rescue together.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo took a deep breath and gave her a nod. He still had a family. And he knew how much they were capable of together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aina looked up at Lio, still shedding flecks of blood and burnt cloth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you’re going to make sure </span>
  <em>
    <span>he’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> okay.” Galo had followed her gaze and he nodded more resolutely this time. An unquellable determination caught inside of him as Lio’s state reminded him how much he had to make up for.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Be patient,” she admonished, giving her brother a knowing look. Then stood. “I have to head back to keep up our cover. We’re telling everyone that you both disappeared, presumably back to the Labyrinth. Since they saw me fly you away, it’ll be problematic if I’m not there to corroborate the story. And I’ll update the fam on your… news.” A final glance up at Lio. “Get him some clothes. He’ll need decent rest tonight to heal.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She pulled Galo up for one last hug, then headed for the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Take the ghost with you!” Galo quietly called.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She chuckled with a roll of her eyes, “Don’t worry, he’s already waiting for me in the plane. See you tomorrow!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo stood there until he heard the hovercraft take off, its engine sound fading in the direction of the city, quickly muffled by the thunder and rain that had been falling for the past half hour.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then it was just him and a wounded King.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stared up at Lio helplessly. He hated waiting. Especially after a whole agonizing week of it. But this wasn’t about him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Clothes. That was one thing he could do. He walked to the doors on the opposite side of the living room from the kitchen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio was closer to Aina’s size than his, but the idea of him wearing other people’s clothes pushed against an already raw feeling inside him. Some protective instinct that already felt like failure. So he headed for the boys’ room, walked beside the double bunk beds until he reached his dresser. Hopefully he’d left a second change of clothes behind after their last camping trip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt around in the top drawer, unable to make out much in the faint light, but there were definitely some of his shirts still in here--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A flash of lightning highlighted a figure in the bedroom doorway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ahhh!” Galo almost tripped over his own feet, startled at the sudden appearance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once the bright flash was gone, only Lio’s gray face was caught in the steady, dim light from the nearby window. But Galo had seen for a brief, terrifying (glorious) moment that the last ashes of clothing were leaving his slender body naked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You left.” Lio’s voice was low but stable. His eyes were unnervingly blank.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just to get you, uh…” Galo held up the flannel shirt already in his hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Goblin King hovered forward into another pane of light and Galo quickly averted his eyes as it played tantalizingly over slim but firmly muscled planes. Still a ghastly gray, but not quite as charred-looking as before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio stopped a mere foot away and took the shirt. Galo began very earnestly looking for the second half of the outfit, but apparently he hadn’t bothered to leave any other pants here last time. “Dammit.” He’d have to raid Aina’s dresser after all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is enough.” Lio quietly reassured. Galo risked a glance and saw he had already buttoned the bottom four buttons, and indeed, Galo’s shirt fell to mid-thigh on him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh…” Galo did not know why in the world Lio thought that was enough because there was still a lot of faintly glowing skin to draw the eye in far, far too many places. The knob of the drawer began digging painfully into his palm under the layers of bandages as his grip tightened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But then his mind blanked for another reason as Lio’s movement cast the dim light on the pattern of raw holes, still slowly weeping blood, scattered in grim parade across an otherwise perfect chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo sucked in a breath and grabbed the open edges of the shirt, halting Lio’s hands as he was about to close the cloth over the wounds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We need to take care of those,” his voice had gone a little hoarse, but he didn’t wait for a response before tugging Lio by the shirt back into the main room of the cabin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The fire will close them by morning,” the dazed Fae monarch spoke in a hazy monotone. “Iron just always takes longer.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo grit his teeth and didn’t reply as he halted and carefully pushed Lio to sit on the couch. It was unsettling how compliant this mighty King had become.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He still looked so out of it, almost lost. The fiery wildness seemed to have burned out to a muted, chaotic disorientation, eyes frequently traveling to things Galo couldn’t see. His trembling had lessened, but it was still persistent.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo pushed the shirt aside, easily slipping it off the graceful slope of shoulders, and began reciting first aid steps in his head to keep his thoughts focused as the cloth pooled in Lio’s lap and left his torso bare. The wounds were a helpfully sobering force of their own, though they brought a sting once more to Galo’s eyes as he rummaged through the first aid kit Aina had left out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was hard to work with the supplies while his own hands were stiff and covered in bandages, but Galo could always do a lot when he was determined. As Galo clasped Lio’s shoulder and wiped a sterilizing cloth over the first wound, a gray hand caught his. Turned it over, looking at the bandages.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can heal these for you,” Lio murmured, reaching for the end of the gauze strip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sick feeling twisted Galo’s stomach at the idea of Lio healing </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> while still bleeding from the harm </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> had inflicted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” Galo wrapped his other covered hand around Lio’s to stop him. Then he held Lio’s eyes and repeated, tone serious and heavy as lead, “No. Leave them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sad frown swept over Lio’s face for an instant before his gaze blanked and his hands fell limply at his sides again, giving Galo full access to his wounds. He let Galo clean them and wind bandages around his chest, not flinching even at the sterilizing treatments that must have stung.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio’s shock-induced trust grated at the raw guilt piled up in Galo. He stayed silent for as long as he could, but as he finished securing the last strip, the truth pushed past his lips in all its grim reality. He couldn’t keep this from Lio. Who had always given </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> the truth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I summoned him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio blinked once.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“To the Labyrinth.” Galo couldn’t say the name but based on the widening of Lio’s eyes and the narrowing of his pupils, he knew who Galo was talking about.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio pulled in a ragged breath and pulled back. “You let him in? Into our refuge? After I told you what he--” Lio’s shaking increased and he began wavering unsteadily. Galo wanted to offer a hand but didn’t think touching the shocked King would be well received right now. “You let him do this?” Lio pressed his fingers to the cloth covering his heart and red began seeping through the fresh bandages.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo cringed deep and hung his head. If there was anything he could sacrifice to take back the hurt he’d caused, he’d do it without another thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What could he possibly say.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pathetic. But the only thing he had.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why?” The first shade of emotion he’d heard in Lio’s voice since going gray, and it was pain. Galo’s throat closed and he had to swallow repeatedly before answering.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought he could explain… explain everything. All the things that didn’t make sense.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio was silent for a full, agonizing minute. For once Galo didn’t rush to fill it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo glanced up. Lio’s shaking has calmed slightly, but the wavering seemed worse. As if fury had converted to weariness. His averted eyes carried a tension.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My family had an old Faerie boon.” Galo rubbed his covered thumbs together, keeping the other fingers still clenched and interlocked, the minor pain focusing him. “It passed on to me. So I used my wish. I guess the Faerie Queen is powerful enough to break the Labyrinth’s rules.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio stiffened, jaw dropping. Eyes suddenly much more aware, snapping like a magnet to Galo’s.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo’s brows shot up and he froze, wondering at the relatively extreme reaction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You… had a boon from the Faerie Queen herself?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. She was… impressive. Kinda reminded me of you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio huffed a strangled laugh, but there was a raw look on his face for a moment that made Galo’s throat catch. Lio looked like he wanted to cry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>see</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” There was a lot of hurt in just two words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tears sprang to Galo’s eyes as he instinctively lifted a hand to comfort. But the vulnerable expression was already gone, and Lio’s face was doing an admirable impression of a stone wall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s never done anything without intention. Without arranging for the ending she desired. She must have wanted me to fail all along.” Galo hated the growing emptiness in Lio’s eyes. It was different from the earlier blankness. This was knowing and resigned. The weight of long struggle was in Lio’s sigh. “This wasn’t your fault. You just got caught up in powerful people’s games.” Lio looked down and stared at his gray hands. “And I was stupid, too. Played right into it. I dropped all that hard truth on you… and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> you weren’t the kind of person who would quit. Of course you would seek answers from the one you trusted.” Lio hung his head until his hair fully obscured his expression. “I couldn’t even see beyond my own feelings to look to the next play. They were right all along. So idiotic.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Obviously </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> not the idiot.” Galo stated firmly. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> were right about everything. You aren’t responsible for </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> stupid blindness. I mean, I... loved someone who </span>
  <em>
    <span>hated</span>
  </em>
  <span> me, let him teach me to pointlessly hate others. Doesn’t get more idiotic than that.” Galo’s voice broke slightly and Lio looked up, brow creasing. Galo took a deep breath and acknowledged the truth, facing Lio’s eyes with bare honesty. “Kray was planning to use me from the moment he met me. And I just went along, made him my hero.” Galo’s jaw clenched. “It’s just… </span>
  <em>
    <span>not fair</span>
  </em>
  <span> that others should get hurt for my mistakes.” Galo’s bandage-blunted hands were clenched so tightly, spots of red were beginning to appear through the layers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio shook his head in disgust, but he wasn’t looking at Galo. Then he sighed. “Well. Aren’t we the stupid pair.” Lio’s harsh summary was softened by the look of commiseration he turned back to Galo, though it held more than a hint of bitterness. Then grief wiped all away. “And the Burnish </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> suffering because of it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo cringed but carried the weight of the eye contact. Fully ready to face any accusation or consequence Lio chose to throw at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio just stared. As Galo watched, those burnt out gray eyes gained a tinge of purple. The barest shine of gold. And they slowly gained feeling again, wisps of compassion and pain and something desperate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We have something worth protecting,” Lio all but whispered the words Galo had offered earlier. “We have to find our own way to win.” Apparently Lio </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> heard him through his reckless rage. Lio’s eyes fluttered and he drifted forward a couple of inches, a deep exhaustion settling into the lines of his face. But he pushed against it, a ferocity entering his eyes, his voice, even as it grew weaker. “Help me take it back. The Underground. The Burnish.” Lio shook his head, a plea for hope clear in his eyes. “Show me your burning soul that never gives up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio dropped further forward and Galo pressed his forehead to Lio’s as the faintly glowing eyes closed. “You can count on it,” Galo promised. “Through fire and spark, I’ve got your back. I’ll stay with you.” He put an arm around Lio’s shoulders and lowered the limp form to lay fully on the sofa. A final sigh signaled the injured monarch’s descent into sleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Galo cried for a good while. Let it wash everything out of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Only this time, the tears ended not with spent, despairing anger, but a kind of release. A hint of hope in the salt on his lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had just been offered a chance to </span>
  <em>
    <span>do something</span>
  </em>
  <span> about the catastrophe he’d caused.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He slid off the coffee table to sit on the floor by the couch. He leaned forward and rested his head beside Lio’s. Placed a gauze-clad hand over a gray one. He had almost extinguished this warmth, he realized as he finally drifted off. But it was strong. Still here. And his heart was convinced that if he stayed beside it, the future would hold something brighter and full of colors.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*****<br/>Aura’s note: KA-KU-SEI! Hope you are ready for act two! (I wasn’t) They both need hugs… T^T</p>
<p>akaDG’s note:</p>
<p>Should Lio be angry and hold a grudge against Galo for his role in all this? I dunno, my take is that he can see very clearly that Galo was a pawn of Kray, and now also the Faerie Queen (so he thinks). And he had previously recognized that Galo was actually a loving and honest guy, just misled and undeservedly loyal to someone who had been manipulating him. If anything, I think he can relate to Galo, being used and abused by other people’s power plays. He knows where the blame lies. Augh, NO, Lio, it does not lie with YOU, omg, u r so problematic sometimes… Don’t worry, though, blame/guilt isn’t the core of either of their character arcs. At least, not in a normal way. You’ll see.</p>
<p>So, Lio now knows who to blame, but he does NOT know Galo thinks winning the Labyrinth equals getting married. :P Yup, that’s still a thing lurking in Galo’s head.</p>
<p>Anyway, what will the morning bring? ;)</p>
<p>Get ready for all the GaloLio goodness coming up! Still plenty of misunderstandings, but all wrapped up in the romantic heat between these two. The second half was so fun to write, it became the second two-thirds! Three-fourths? I hope you won’t mind. </p>
<p>Freaking thank you for reading, for giving this a chance, for hanging in there through the rocky start. And to those who are commenting--you’re the only reason I’m posting this on a public archive. Thank you for showing me you are, in fact, fellow human beings. I love hearing about your experiences.</p>
<p>Follow more updates, rambles, and the musical chapter previews on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/akadoreengreene">@akadoreengreene</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. I'll Be There For You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yaaaaas, post-trauma Lio + BR family time! Lots of love as they make a plan. Bonus: Pappa Ignis + Lio = 😭👌💕</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Galo had never woken up so comfortable.</p><p>It was the kind of feeling you only get when you were finally able to catch a good rest after a long, arduous experience, and you know all is right in the world. A gentle peace. A deliciously cozy warmth radiated through his body from a reassuring weight draped over him. A heavenly floral scent. He never wanted to move.</p><p>He heard a click.</p><p>A familiar sound.</p><p>A cell phone camera going off. Perfectly mundane.</p><p>Unless you were expecting to wake up alone.</p><p>Galo’s eyes shot open, acutely awake.</p><p>His entire family sans Lucia was there, staring at him from the end of the couch with varying degrees of glee and smugness. Even that weird ghost was there giving the impression of a smirk. Aina was biting her lip, eyes bright as she lowered her phone.</p><p>Wait.</p><p>Hadn’t he been sitting on the floor when he fell asleep?</p><p>Because the couch was being used by--</p><p>He glanced down at last and froze.</p><p>How.</p><p>How in the world had they ended up like this.</p><p>A soft cheek was pressed to his chest, and his own rested on pale tousled hair. Slender fingers of one fine hand were wrapped in a loose hold around his neck, and its partner had looped under his arm to hold his shoulder and lock both bodies flush against each other. The most beautiful legs he had ever seen--the full, scandalous, mouth-watering lengths of them--were entangled with his own. They were as silky as whatever his fingers were touching.</p><p>Oh hell.</p><p>His hand had slipped inside the borrowed shirt (which was DEFINITELY NOT ENOUGH WHY DID HE EVER THINK IT WAS), disregarding the purpose of the two buttons it had apparently undone, and was drifting lazily across the hidden, petal-like skin of a waist it fit against just right.</p><p>
  <em> Kill me. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> It’ll never get better than this and it’s definitely going to get a whole lot worse... </em>
</p><p>A far distant corner of Galo’s mind noted with relief that Lio seemed to be back to his normal, softly glowing colors.</p><p>And then this most perfect of armfuls <em> moved </em>.</p><p>Stretched fluidly against him with a soft mewling sound, as if trying to remind Galo just how much of them was in contact, as if it was even remotely possible to forget. He squeezed his eyes closed as his whole body was instantly on fire, blood racing to his skin like it wanted to flee this amazing, mortifying moment.</p><p>That’s it.</p><p>He was going to die.</p><p>The sheer, unexpected bliss or the wrath of the King who was unwittingly giving it, either could easily end him. If not them, the mounting embarrassment would claim his very soul.</p><p>He peeked his eyes open again as an arm pressed against him and brought a bleary, beautiful face into view. Lio looked groggily at Galo. Then behind him at the rest of the team.</p><p>“Where the hell am I?” Lio rasped and began to sit up.</p><p>With a squeak Galo sat up with him, one arm circling his shoulders and the other hand hastily tugging down a hemline that had very nearly revealed some things of Lio’s that Galo didn’t want anyone (else) to ever see.</p><p>“Uhhhhm!” Galo really was so eloquent, and in such a high pitch tone, too.</p><p>“Galo!” Aina yelled, looking shocked as she realized just how unclothed their guest actually was. She took two strides and wound an arm around Lio’s shoulders, easily lifting him off Galo. “What the hell is wrong with you!? Geez! I said get him clothes, <em> plural </em>!” She pulled the still-dazed, barely-covered Goblin King along with her as she stormed over to the room she bunked in with Lucia and slammed the door behind them.</p><p>Galo decided he deserved every one of the taunts, teases, headlocks and arm-punches he got from his brothers and the look from Ignis that promised he’d be on toilet-cleaning duty for the rest of his life.</p><p>Galo was busy stirring a large pot of porridge by the time Aina and Lio emerged. It was one of the few breakfast duties he could manage with bandaged hands, but by god he was going to give it 100% and pray it cleared his mind. That plan was shot to hell when he glanced up at the approaching pair. He had figured the Lio-attractiveness scale had topped out at seeing him in his own partially buttoned shirt, it’s large size constantly contrasting with the smaller figure and hinting at how easy it would be to slip off. But Galo hadn’t realized there was more than one damn scale.</p><p>Aina, cruel, evil, diabolically-grinning sister that she was, had given Lio daisy dukes and one of her crop tops. Well, on her it was a crop top. On Lio, the loose hem just barely brushed the low waistline of the shorts, flashing frequent glimpses of an area Galo’s hand had memorized. The tight shorts accentuated the tantalizing proportions they covered and left even more of those fine legs naked to the eye than Galo’s shirt had.</p><p>Galo glared at Aina. Who just smiled slyly and declared, “You look really great in those clothes, your highness. Keep them.”</p><p>“Humans wear such weird things,” Lio grumbled, giving hemlines a few futile tugs before giving up with a shrug. “Well. It is hot and sticky,” he glanced out the window at the muggy summer sun and Galo cursed his own mind for going in a different direction altogether at those words. “Thank you, Aina.” Lio gave her regal nod, a contrasting elegance that somehow made the outfit even more appealing.</p><p>Galo stared deep into the pot of porridge and decided it was his safe haven. Nothing to make his heart race in there, nope. It was rational and nutritious and… beige.</p><p>You know, these feelings really weren’t that confusing if he thought about it. This was all very normal. Lio was Fae royalty, after all. It was, like, part of the package that he would be overwhelmingly attractive. It was just part of his nature, that’s all. Straightforward. An objective fact that he was gorgeous. It didn’t mean anything more just because Galo <em> noticed </em>.</p><p>And as long as he didn’t look at Lio, Galo found he could believe that.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p>He needed to go back.</p><p>He needed to save his people.</p><p>He needed to defeat Kray.</p><p>And in order to do all of those, he had to wait.</p><p>Frustrating.</p><p>But blindly throwing himself at Kray had only led to bad things. Galo was right: Lio had been playing by the enemy’s rules. Kray had an army. He had the Labyrinth. He had the Burnish. And he had a hellish amount of magical power of his own. Plus, he was cunning and patient.</p><p>In order to win against him, Lio needed to align on a different plan with the only people left who could help.</p><p>And right now, they were all making breakfast.</p><p>There was a deeply embedded Fae instinct in Lio that dictated Hospitality protocols be followed regardless of circumstance. They were the hosts, and important discussions came after the meal. Argh.</p><p>Fine. He’d use this time to get his own internal house in order.</p><p>Lio perched atop a plush chair back with a good view of the entire open area as he watched the active group in the kitchen. Everything seemed surreal, like he’d jumped into another reality. A happy home where time bubbled along normally. It was a jarring change to the excruciating, stretching memories of the past week. Still, the sleep had been exactly what he needed. While changing clothes, he had been able to remove the bandages, the physical injuries now fully closed, though still discolored and tender. Now he examined a different set of wounds. Tried to organize his mind, reconcile the present reality with the devastating recent events.</p><p>He remembered the panicked rage of seeing his home invaded by their cruelest enemy, feeling his people fall despite his Claim of protection for them.</p><p>Then being a helpless prisoner in his own body. It was not an experience he could ever forget. That one week was like a years-long block of minute-by-minute recollection in his mind.</p><p>His memories of being Wildfaere incarnate were sharply chaotic, reality itself twisting rather than his perception of it. He had no idea how Galo had been able to break through it all, but realizing how close he’d been to the precipice of self-defeating destruction, Lio was grateful for the intervention. But controlling the Wildfaere had cost him, especially after a week of iron corrosion. He could feel the burn out in every cell of his body. His capacity to hold fire had been stretched beyond the breaking point, and it would take time to regain enough elasticity to channel his flames like normal.</p><p>And then he’d learned the truth. Everything after he released the majority of the primal blaze was strangely clear and very numb. Galo taking care of him. Galo admitting he’d caused the harm in the first place. Galo unknowingly telling him who had really betrayed him…</p><p>That pain was old and inevitable, though. If anything, it sharpened his resolve.</p><p>He marveled at his present calm after the storm, but realized it rested on a small core of hope with something so strange at its center.</p><p>Galo had promised he’d help.</p><p>Why that mattered so much, Lio didn’t know. But the doom that had been foretold for him had been paused. The Burnish and their home had been taken, but it was not yet destroyed, not yet broken. Which meant perhaps he had a window within which to act. To redirect destiny if he found a way to reinterpret it, if he made the right play. Perhaps if he had to lose, he could choose what to sacrifice. And… Galo… somehow made him think there were possibilities. That he wouldn’t have to face alone.</p><p>This scary, uplifting thought focused him again on the current moment, gaze fixing on the man who climbed over walls both physically and metaphorically to get to his goal. Who learned in a matter of days to hear the truth over the years of conditioned lying… even if his reactions had been clumsy and now required him to make significant amends. An enemy turned ally.</p><p>What would it be like to fight on the same side? To work together? Something told Lio it would be unlike anything he’d ever experienced before.</p><p>If the current scene was any indication, though, Galo and his entire family knew how to act like an effective team. They had all instinctively assumed roles in the food preparation. Lio didn’t consider joining them. He could tell it would throw off their happy dynamic if he did. So he stayed separate and observed.</p><p>Galo seemed <em> very </em> invested in making a big pot of something. He was watching the contents like a hawk, must be a tricky dish. Lio tilted his head slightly and watched Galo. The subtle shifts of muscle. The way the steam brought an appealing flush to his cheeks. That lucky bead of sweat that worked its way down from hairline to jaw to neck and disappeared into an unnecessary shirt. Then the scene blurred as his mind vividly recalled the feeling of waking up against that warm, firm body… Lio gasped and shook his head, momentarily looking at the ceiling, the floor, the wall. When he had command of himself again, he sternly looked back at Galo, resolved to see him objectively. Fortunately, it became easy to keep his thoughts sober as his eyes fixed on Galo’s hands and arms, still wrapped in gauze. Lio frowned as he recalled Galo’s rejection of his help the previous night. He obviously didn’t want the assistance of Fae magic. Would rather suffer the pain than accept such a “curse” as Lio offered.</p><p>He was <em> used </em> to rejection. And he didn’t even <em> like </em> Galo, something stubborn and defensive inside asserted. His dismissal shouldn’t sting.</p><p>But it did.</p><p>Trying to ignore the sharp feeling that settled as resentment at the back of his throat, Lio shifted focus and studied his former Burnish. Just the sight of them brought immediate comfort. It was so rare for any to make it back to their pre-fire state. But Lio was relieved. They seemed to be doing alright. More than alright.</p><p>Remi made toast and flipped bacon, testing the wares as he went. Aina swiftly cut up a whole bag of apples and made some of them into little bunny shapes that she would hop over to her siblings to munch as they cooked. Varys brewed coffee and made some kind of green juice with a loud machine that he seemed to enjoy yelling over. Ignis leaned against a counter and read the newspaper, present but not even pretending to supervise.</p><p>They were a family.</p><p>“Man,” Remi sighed as he piled the last of the toast on a plate. “It’s so quiet without Lucia here.”</p><p>Aina snorted. “You just miss scolding her,” she teased with a good-natured nudge to his shoulder.</p><p>Lio looked down.</p><p>He hadn’t broken this family up, but he hadn’t tried to put them back together, either. Seeing them like this…</p><p>He understood why it was worth it.</p><p>He tried not to envy the love and belonging on display. He thought he was done mourning what couldn’t be, but… why did moments like these hurt?</p><p>He was so deep in his own cloud that he didn’t even notice someone approaching until a plate full of food was shoved in his face. Lio straightened, startled.</p><p>“A feast fit for a King!” Galo exclaimed, with a smile that blinded Lio as he lowered the plate until Lio grabbed hold. </p><p>The half-Fae monarch blinked several times as he stared at the food. Some of everything. The bacon was perfect. Butter trickled into the crevices of the crisp toast. All of his apple slices were bunnies. There was a shot of green juice with a decorative flourish of lemon peel. And a small bowl of porridge with melting brown sugar in the shape of a sun.</p><p>It was so… warm.</p><p>As he looked at this plate full of personal touches, he understood why food was a powerful bond, literally to the Fae and in subtler ways to humans.</p><p>Then a hand was between his shoulder blades, pushing him off his perch and steering him towards a rapidly filling table.</p><p>Lio felt a moment of panic as he realized what was happening. But he couldn’t let the mask of calm and control slip. He intentionally straightened, widened his gait to a confident stride, and set the plate down at an empty spot like he’d been aiming for it the whole time. Spun the chair out and around until it was facing the table backward. Sat astride it and leaned his arms across the back, watching. As a matter of principle, he never started eating until he was sure everyone else had what they needed.</p><p>Everyone was already digging in with a gusto. Galo plunked down in the seat to his right. A smile almost caught on Lio’s face as he watched the enthusiasm and bantering from the kitchen travel to the table, continuing to flow between everyone like quick lightning in a storm as they took their seats. He wasn’t part of it, but being surrounded by it still felt nice. Picking up a spoon in his left hand and tucking some hair behind his ear with the other, Lio cast a glance at Galo, communicating his amusement with his eyes, even if his lips weren’t up for a smile just yet.</p><p>Galo had already paused, though, porridge dripping from his spoon, mouth open to receive the bite, but movement frozen as he stared at the Goblin King. His eyes became just a shade darker, fixed on where Lio’s fingers were still tucking strands behind his ear. Lio quirked a brow and Galo’s eyes flicked to that movement. Then shifted a little more to take in the confiding smile still in Lio’s eyes. Then very quickly snapped back to his plate as he hastily shoveled more food in his mouth than would fit. He began coughing and chugged his juice in a counterproductive move to clear his air passage.</p><p>“Careful now, Galo,” Aina exclaimed, a note of delight in her voice as she looked at her brother. And then at Lio. She grinned. “You might have bitten off more than you can chew this time.”</p><p>Lio puzzled through his former enemy’s strange reaction. Perhaps Galo hadn’t previously noticed Lio had pointier ears than a human. Lio lifted his chin as he took a bite of the surprisingly delicious porridge. He wasn’t going to hide his ears. They were one of the few features that distinctly showed both the Fae and the human sides of him intrinsically combined. Galo would just have to get used to them. Maybe he should wear his hair pulled back just to make them an unavoidable sight. Until their strangeness no longer flustered him.</p><p>As if reading his mind, Aina slid a hair tie across the table to him. He gave her a surprised nod and pocketed it for later. She just smirked as if sharing a secret with him, and then did a happy shimmy in her seat as she tucked into her own full plate.</p><p>Aina was still Aina, even if she didn’t really remember him, Lio realized. She had been attentive and understanding as they spoke briefly in her room. He found it easy to talk to her. Maybe Meis and Gueira could still be close with these former Burnish friends. It would probably make them happy.</p><p>Lio almost dropped his spoon when a translucent, black and white figure appeared beside Aina. Of all the things he’d reviewed in his memory, this was the element that he had figured was maybe just a symptom of shock.</p><p>“Ah, I remember eating,” the ghost murmured with a note of envy.</p><p>Galo, also clearly unnerved, looked to Aina. “Why <em> is </em> a ghost from the Labyrinth following you?”</p><p>“The Labyrinth?” Lio tensed his brow, confused. This was the first he’d ever heard of his realm being haunted.</p><p>“Yeah,” Aina’s tone was exasperated as she pointed a fork at the ghost. “Our great-grandfather was a powerful wizard, and he died almost 20 years ago in a subterranean mission to study the uncontrolled Fae fire.”</p><p>The ghost nodded. “And the Labyrinth was the closest magical center, so I was able to send my soul’s imprint on this world to anchor there. Planes of existence are easier to cross when you’re not alive, and I had something important I needed to do in the Underground.”</p><p>“Then why are you <em> here </em>?” Galo asked.</p><p>“Family is a stronger bond than magic,” the ghost declared, hovering a little closer to Aina who gave him a half-smile. “And the unleashing of Wildfaere makes lots of magical rules… bendy. I was able to recharge my essence and break free of the Labyrinth thanks to yesterday’s events.”</p><p>This was all very strange, but Lio sat up even straighter as he realized this was the opening he needed to jump ahead to his urgent business.</p><p>He opened his mouth, but Ignis beat him to it.</p><p>“Deus, good. We need you to catch up Galo and…” Ignis paused and looked at Lio as if uncertain what to call him.</p><p>“Lio.”</p><p>Lio snapped to face Galo as the sound of his name in such a confident tone sent a strange flutter through his chest. Galo’s expression was serious, intense, and affirming as he looked back at Lio. A sharp contrast to his previous scorn and refusal to use the name despite Lio’s generosity in offering it.</p><p>An easy strength filled Lio’s shoulders, setting them as he made a decision. He had already given his name in Claim to the rest of this group. If he was going to work with them to regain his people and place in the world, the least he could do is extend that protection, such as it was. He looked at the head of the family, and offered Ignis his respect with a slight incline of his head.</p><p>“Lio Fotia.”</p><p>“Lio,” Ignis nodded. Lio felt that subtle current of power that wisped through him each time someone used his true name once he’d granted it to them. A pull as his essence was being recognized and called.</p><p>“We think you need to hear what Deus has to say,” Ignis looked to the ghost.</p><p>“Better to show it, I think,” Deus corrected. “You see, I once taught Kray Foresight. We studied the Fae fire together, tried to understand it so we could stop the destruction and anticipate what it would do next. Or at least, that was <em> my </em> intention…”</p><p>Lio stiffened as the world grew misty and suddenly Kray was before them, facing a much more solid Deus. The ghost had cast them into a memory with no effort. In life, he must have been a powerful wizard indeed.</p><p>
  <em> “So the fire is some unmoored remnant of the Fae connection to life on Earth?” Kray asked, stuffing his hands into the pockets of the lab coat he wore. The two were standing in what appeared to be a cave, its glassy walls obviously carved by fire melting stone. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Yes. There was a bond between our worlds that connected life in both of them. The Fae called this life bond the Promare, and they wielded its fire expertly. When the Fae left and closed their gate, the Promare here manifested as the chaotic Wildfaere, the severed remains of that symbiotic connection. The part that was intrinsically anchored in the living Earth. It wants to be free, to reconnect, but it no longer has any path to travel. With so few Fae left here to wield it, It has been seeking out compatible humans who can let it burn, but it will tear apart our world sooner or later seeking full release.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “But there is still a path available between worlds? Through the Goblin King’s Labyrinth?” </em>
</p><p><em> “Yes, my extensive divination concluded that a pathway can still be opened between worlds through the Heart of Parnassus, but that would require breaking through that realm’s Core. The suffering to its people would be unimaginable. It would be </em> reprehensible <em> to simply force our way--” </em></p><p>
  <em> The crack of a gunshot silenced him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> As the memory faded, the last clear image was Kray’s face, eyes of cold fire, looking down at the rapidly bleeding form of his former colleague. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I’ve been called worse.” </em>
</p><p>As the mist cleared, Lio felt faint. “The… Promare will destroy Earth if not released through the portal of my realm?” A portal that would take his life if accessed.</p><p>Everyone around the table turned their shocked eyes to him.</p><p>Deus, now incorporeal again, shook his head. “I didn’t get to finish explaining to him. What Kray doesn’t know is that opening that portal will create a vacuum that will pull all the Promare--and all the living fire, the life force on Earth--with it to its other home, killing everything here and leaving Earth a dead husk of a world.”</p><p>“He wouldn’t care even if he knew,” Galo stated hoarsely. He looked well and truly crushed after seeing his former hero blatantly murder someone without remorse. Lio realized through his own shock that his fingers were drifting in Galo’s direction. He sternly pulled them back as Galo continued. “He told me, he believes the fire will destroy the Earth no matter what. And he doesn’t care if our world perishes, as long as he can get revenge on the Fae for destroying it.”</p><p>Lio focused on the familiar flow of fire, always blazing through him as a comfortable companionship of warmth, a song of life in all its innocent ferocity. It was as much a part of him as his own soul, inseparable in identity. To be Fae and be fire was one and the same. It was the greatest point of joy in his own nature. So it was with spirit-crushing dread that he asked, “So, the Fae fire… is actually a destructive force alien to this world? It’s existence here will steal life and destroy everything?”</p><p>...<em> Homebreaker </em>… Apparently that name would always haunt him with its truth...</p><p>“No, no,” Deus hastily continued. “It has the potential to destroy all if left in its current unconnected state, but it is still <em> essential </em> to our world. Removal of the Promare would strip away all life on Earth. It <em> is </em> the energy of life on our planet. It’s wildness may be causing problems, but if the Fae had taken it with them, our world would have died. And that's exactly what will happen if Kray opens the portal through your land now.”</p><p>Lio stared silently at the table, thoughts swirling in shock.</p><p>So Parnassus wasn’t simply a bridge between worlds and a place for those who couldn’t live in either. That may have been <em> his </em> intention, but really this Labyrinth game--his <em> life </em>--was now the lynchpin, both the potential trigger and the only thing standing between Earth and its destruction.</p><p>The realm he had built had been turned into a world-ending weapon when the Fae abandoned their place on Earth.</p><p>He felt the blood drain from his face as he remembered the foretelling words of the Fortune he had received at his birth. ...<em> break the home you build </em>...</p><p>Had the Fae Court known this would happen with the Labyrinth all along? Had <em> she </em> known? He didn’t bother to question whether she cared.</p><p>His heart thundered as he realized just how high the stakes were here, in someone else’s game he hadn’t known he was playing. He hadn’t even known there was a “Core”.</p><p>He rested his elbows on the table, his fingers pressed along the hairline on each side of his face. What had he been <em> doing </em> all this time?!</p><p>And Kray was right there, trying to open this doom portal with a battering ram.</p><p>The roaring in his mind quieted slightly as a large hand settled with a reassuring warmth high on his back, allowing space for a new realization to take shape.</p><p>“But Kray didn’t challenge the Labyrinth, so he can’t win and gain control of the portal,” Lio exclaimed, looking up and around at all the troubled eyes, trying to figure out what he was missing.</p><p>Deus sighed. “From what I picked up haunting the castle this past week, he apparently believes there is a way without having to subject himself to the Labyrinth rules. Believes that if he can find the Core, he can break it with enough force.”</p><p>Galo’s eyes widened. “He said he was going to use the Burnish. Sacrifice them.”</p><p>A white-hot heat began building up in Lio’s chest.</p><p>“That may work,” Deus nodded gravely. “If enough Burnish are forced to channel the Wildfaere, the suffering may be enough for it to break through and seek out the rest of the fire on the other side.”</p><p>“The fire is alive,” Lio’s voice was taut. “It <em> will </em> seek to escape the pain.” He stared grimly forward, seeing visions of a dead world. “Unleashed, our fire will destroy everything, whether it stays or goes.” It seemed so hopeless. The fire really was a curse. A curse he had actively been fostering, promoting as a noble fate. He had gathered the Burnish in one handy place, the very place Kray wanted to use them. He should have found a way to free them if he wanted to protect them. He should have found a way. He had been living a lie and taken so many others with him.</p><p>Galo lifted his hand from Lio’s back and placed it on his shoulder instead, calling for his attention. When Lio looked at Galo, he saw concerned eyes.</p><p>“I know you must be feeling really conflicted--”</p><p>“You don’t know anything,” He pulled out of Galo’s touch. “The Fae doomed the world with fire. I am Fae. The fire is part of me.” Lio dropped his eyes. “You were right all along.”</p><p>Galo leaned over and dropped his face into Lio’s downcast sightline, stubbornly demanding eye contact. “I was definitely wrong. Don’t give up on your Burnish pride so easily.” He sat up again, pulling Lio’s eyes with him as he crooked a thumb at Deus. “You heard him. The Fae <em> would have </em> doomed the world if they had <em> taken </em> all their fire. The fact that they didn’t… the fact that you stayed here to manage it… the fact that the Burnish have been able to help channel it all this time… have saved our world. We just… need to figure out the rest.” He had the audacity to grin. ”I’m not going to stop protecting people <em> from </em> fire. You shouldn’t stop protecting people <em> with </em> your fire. You said it yourself: it’s the purpose of the Burnish. To protect life on Earth. To burn without killing. Right?”</p><p>Wha… why was something so basic stated by such a straightforward guy making so much sense out of a horrible, complicated situation? How did Galo do that??</p><p>Seeing the honest soul fire in Galo’s eyes, remembering the Burnish who he had no doubts were strong and valuable, it was like someone had reached deep inside of him and tugged hope back into his chest. Lio rubbed the heel of his palm against his sternum as a resurgence of resolve filled him. “Right.” He gave a firm nod.</p><p>Then he actually squeaked as solid arms wound around him. Finding himself once more acutely aware of a well-toned chest, it took him a full two seconds to push back with a glare. Galo’s grin did not dim. Lio heard snickering from across the table but chose not to look.</p><p>“I have the perfect first use for your fire,” Deus declared, tone definitely more amused than it had been before. “Something I’ve been working on for, well, decades.” Then Deus’ vocal volume began to rise, his intonation becoming more theatrical. “Knowing Kray was planning to use Parnassus’ portal, I accomplished the nearly impossible task in my incorporeal state of building a perfect defence! It has everything you’ll need to defeat his wards and spells! To take down the mechanical monstrosity he created for his invasion of the Fae world! It’s conveniently hidden right at the gate of Goblin City!” Deus paused for dramatic effect. Galo leaned forward, eyes gleaming. Lio gave Galo a dry look. </p><p>“Well, that sounds <em> very </em> convenient,” Lio drawled sardonically.</p><p>Galo waved a hand in Lio’s direction, keeping eager eyes locked on Deus. “What is it?!”</p><p>“I call it… DEUS EX MACHINA!!” With a flourish of his hand, Deus summoned a visual of… a lumpy robot.</p><p>“What is it?” Lio asked, his tone much less impressed than Galo’s had been.</p><p>“A mech,” Both Galo and Deus said at the sametime, Galo pensive as he studied the image, Deus slightly wounded. Nevertheless, Deus resumed his authoritative cadence to finish. “It just needs a source of Promare energy to power it and someone to pilot, and you’ll be ready to kick Kray out of Parnassus!”</p><p>Galo gasped and looked at Lio again. “That’s us!”</p><p>“It doesn’t look finished,” Remi interrupted the annoyed retort Lio was planning to fire back. Lio instead nodded in agreement with a pointed look back at Galo as Remi continued to examine the image.</p><p>“Ehhhhh, it’s almost there,” Deus waved a dismissive hand.</p><p>“Almost doesn’t count for anything,” Lio quirked a very skeptical brow at the image. </p><p>Galo pouted at him. It was annoyingly effective at making Lio reconsider his gruff tone.</p><p>“Stop, you know he’s right,” Aina teased Galo. “Don’t worry, though. By a stroke of her usual brilliance, Lucia was able to contact us using her magic while the Labyrinth was here Aboveground.”</p><p>“What?!” Both Lio and Galo exclaimed at the same time.</p><p>“Yeah, apparently they don’t know she’s there. Took her awhile to sneak around the castle with all Kray’s new enchantments, but she’s still free and trying to gather intel. Deus is going back to see if he can get her help finishing the mech so it’s all ready to go when you get there.”</p><p>Now Lio looked unnerved. “That is… <em> very </em> convenient.”</p><p>“Yes!” Galo pumped his fist in the air. “This will work!"</p><p>Lio’s annoyance flared up. He smacked a palm on the table and gave Galo a severe look. "You're willing to trust Kray's dead mentor who just handily happens to have all the pertinent knowledge about our situation and has conveniently built a solution that just requires both of us to walk right up to Foresight's stronghold and hope an unfinished, untested giant robot will work?"</p><p>“Kray killed me and harmed my family.” All bravado had left Deus’ voice quiet. Lio unbristled and Deus continued. “He took my life’s work and is using it to cause the very harm I was trying to prevent. I want this as much as you do. So I worked hard to prepare.”</p><p>Lio leaned back.</p><p>Galo leaned towards Lio and spoke earnestly. “The only reason Deus is here is because he wants to make up for the harm he caused. Make up for helping Kray.” Galo’s eyes fell a degree. Lio bit his lip. Galo looked up again with fresh confidence as he declared, “And I trust Lucia to get anything working!”</p><p>Damn, but Galo’s eyes were honest. Lio wanted to throw his arms wide and protect this stupid, sincere man from all the cruel manipulations he still didn't seem to realize existed. </p><p>“You spent 20 years building this thing,” Aina puzzled aloud. “What <em> were </em> you going to do if Lio's fire hadn't freed you to find us?”</p><p>Deus glowed a touch brighter as he answered. “Eh, sometimes you just gotta have faith that things will work out.”</p><p>Lio dropped his face into his palm. Surely they weren't going to trust someone with such a cavalier attitude--</p><p>"Just need a power supply and someone to steer!” Galo's eager aura crashed into Lio as he turned gleaming eyes towards his potential partner.</p><p>Of course Galo would.</p><p>Lio stared at Galo's confident smile.</p><p>
  <em> Oh hell. I’m going to go along with this, aren’t I. Not that I’m swimming in options... </em>
</p><p>Lio sighed at Galo. So Lio would be the engine. And this contradiction of a challenger would be the pilot. Lio got a sudden flashback of Galo clumsily crashing his way through Lio’s Labyrinth <em> before </em> he had a giant robot at his disposal. What would he be like with a mech? Lio swallowed as he watched Galo’s excitement intensify like a lightbulb reaching its voltage limit. Ready to blow at any moment.</p><p>Hoo-boy.</p><p> </p><p>****</p><p>Oh boy!</p><p>He’d get to pilot a giant mech and save the day!! WITH LIO!!</p><p>He beamed at the slightly dazed-looking Goblin King. They had sucked as enemies, they just kept saving each other. So of course they would be awesome partners!!!</p><p>He grabbed Lio’s hand and squeezed it tight despite his own bandages, enjoying Lio’s reaction of surprised fluster. The way it made him look just a little less polished and a little more... cute. “Aboveground and Underground will work together! We can stop Kray and save everyone!”</p><p>A strange tremor ran through Lio’s face as he took in Galo’s enthusiasm. One corner of his lips quirked up. Then the spark Galo loved to see lit in his eyes. The fire turned brilliant as it caught in those deep facets, so much color and light. Sent a swoop through Galo’s stomach like a rollercoaster plummet.</p><p>Oh yes, Lio’s resolved, energized expression was also very appealing, Galo decided. A matching passion filled Lio’s refined voice. “Save both the Burnish and the Earth.” He squeezed Galo’s hand back.</p><p>Galo shot to his feet without releasing Lio’s hand. “We’ll find our own way to win!”</p><p>Lio stood to face him, shoulders strong and chin high. “We’ll break all their rules and make our own!” Lio leaned further into Galo’s space, infusing a fresh torrent of energy into the Fire Fighter’s racing heart. “Let’s go take back the Labyrinth!”</p><p>“Do you think they even know we’re still here?”</p><p>At Aina’s words, both turned to her with a blink. She had one cheek propped on her fist and wore a wry, amused smile as she twirled a spoon casually in the air. She and Varys burst out laughing as the pair's startled reactions confirmed her suspicion.</p><p>"Shhhh, it's cute," Varys stage-whispered. “Wish I could be a fly on the wall when they go back down there…”</p><p>“Oh!” Galo exclaimed dismayed as he realized a potential hitch in their plans. “I left the Labyrinth. I guess that means I forfeit the challenge… I can’t go back… I’m losing my memories!” He dug his free fingers into his hair in horror.</p><p>Lio raised a placating hand. “No. Technically you didn't leave the Labyrinth. It left you. Your challenge will still be in play if you return.” The horror evaporated. Galo found he really liked when Lio explained things the way he did, like he actually assumed Galo would understand. Lio continued in his direct way. “According to its nature, you belong there as much as I do right now. I can take us both back without tripping any threshold wards that would notify Kray of our presence.”</p><p>To tell the truth, Fae logic still made little sense to Galo.</p><p>But he was eager to try to understand.</p><p>“I guess that's… fair?” He ventured.</p><p>The shine of approval in Lio's eyes was its own reward.</p><p>Then a strange wall slipped behind that unusually open gaze and Galo immediately felt the distance as the Goblin King took careful control of his expression.</p><p>“In fact--that could be our wildcard,” Lio suggested in a tone that was a touch too casual. “If all else fails, you can win the Labyrinth and gain control of the portal. Keep it closed.”</p><p>Lio was everything calm and composed, but his eyes dropped from Galo’s as he made the suggestion. Galo was momentarily grateful for that diverted gaze, since he was pretty sure the heatwave that blazed across his face was making it crimson.</p><p>Because winning the Labyrinth meant claiming more than the portal.</p><p>The idea of piloting a mech into battle with Lio to rescue the world had made Galo more excited than he ever remembered being. The idea of <em> marrying </em> Lio to accomplish the same just completely short circuited every node in his brain.</p><p>And it was <em> Lio </em> who had suggested it! So that meant… what did it mean?</p><p>Lio took a deep breath and looked back up at Galo.</p><p>He seemed...</p><p>Galo felt like every cell of his body was just a little more alive as he stared at the hesitant, almost shy expression Lio wore as he seemed to study him back, then spoke.</p><p>“As long as you would take care of… everyone. After.”</p><p>Galo couldn’t help it. This vulnerable version of Lio was too powerful. Keeping hold of Lio’s hand, he wrapped his other arm around this person who made things warm in so many ways, wanting to hold him until this sweet ache faded. Reassure the King that no matter what happened, he would never get in the way of his own free will or authority over his realm. And he would definitely, absolutely take care of him the best he could.</p><p>This time he got a kick in the shins as well as a shove to the chest. But seeing the red cheeks and tousled hair around the glaring face was worth it.</p><p>He was so going to win.</p><p>“Okay, sounds like a plan,” Ignis’ voice cut through Galo’s memorization of Lio’s face. Oh crap, he had kind of forgotten everyone else was here again. He glanced at Ignis bashfully to see him giving a Look. That shifted to Galo and Lio’s still joined hands. Lio quickly pulled his back, a fresh line of pink appearing across the bridge of his nose at Galo’s disappointed sound. Ignis’ mustache twitched slightly but his expression remained otherwise stoic. “Kitchen. Galo, you’re on leftovers, Varys wash, Aina dry, Remi go get us a few readings from the former lake to take back so we have a pretence of a cover. Lio, let’s talk.”</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p>Lio didn’t know how three simple words from a human he barely knew could impart such a sense of foreboding, but they did.</p><p>Galo’s siblings immediately rose from the table looking a range of amused and began gathering empty plates.</p><p>“But…” Galo almost whined.</p><p>Remi grabbed a fistful of Galo’s shirt as he passed and tugged him towards the kitchen. “Come on, you big sap.”</p><p>Aina giggled and looked at Varys as they walked away. “In the dictionary, under the word ‘smitten’...” Varys laughed with a nod.</p><p>Lio barely noticed these antics as Ignis’ perpetually hidden gaze stayed locked on him.</p><p>He mustered every ounce of poise as he sat back down, facing the Captain. He knew what this was going to be about. Ignis was Galo’s caretaker. A foster father. The young man was under his protection, and Lio was leading him back into danger.</p><p>“I already extended my full protection to Galo,” Lio started. Then in a softer, sincere tone, “I’ll put his life before my own.” It was all he could really offer by way of reassurance for a concerned parent.</p><p>Ignis propped his elbows on the table, interlacing his fingers, and looked down as he released a long, heavy sigh.</p><p>“They all came back better off.” Ignis’ tone was matter-of-fact.</p><p>Lio didn’t understand what he meant. Ignis glanced up and seemed to read his confusion.</p><p>“Aina’s learned to trust her instincts more. Stepped into her own leadership. Remi knows how to go with the flow better, which was always difficult for him. Varys has always gathered community, but now he’s organized, even more effective.” Lio’s eyes widened and he followed Ignis’ gaze when it turned to the busy kitchen. “I’ve never seen Galo so broken as he was last night. But today…” They both studied the energetic, blue-haired young man who was telling some story to his brother and sister that had them leaning against the counter gasping in laughter. “He’s always carried hope to others, can’t seem to help it.” Lio felt his lips quirk. “Yesterday was the first time I’ve seen him without it. But before we even got here this morning, it had been restored.” Lio watched Galo for a moment more, a strange warmth stealing over him. Then he turned back to Ignis, only to find the large man already staring at him again.</p><p>There was a ponderous weight there, an unspoken signal that he wasn’t done. So Lio remained silent to give him space to finish.</p><p>“Foresight used our family, and you paid the price.” There was a breathtaking depth of anger hidden behind those blunt words. And remorse. “We were wrong. Whatever you need to make this right--you let me know.” Ignis reached up and lowered his tinted glasses. The most steady eyes Lio had ever seen looked back at him. “Thank you for taking care of the kids. You have a place here. Anytime. You and yours.”</p><p>Being Fae, Lio could feel the power of that offer. The bond. The Hospitality. The opening of home thresholds.</p><p>He had never felt anything like it, and its allure terrified him.</p><p>Lio leaned back, staring in wary awe. Ignis half-smiled as he observed the reaction, seemed to read things Lio couldn't see. Ignis’ hard face temporarily softened in a sadness Lio didn’t understand, before it was wiped away and the soul windows once more hid behind one-way glass.</p><p>“Anytime,” he simply reiterated.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*****</p><p>I will never get tired of writing Pappa Ignis. He was such a cool boss in the movie… chill but no-nonsense to his team, smart about picking his fights, uncompromising when he backed his people and tackled assholes head-on. I also love that he used his political connections to figure out what had happened to his foolish rookie. He totally cares about them. Love him.</p><p>I am VERY curious what you all think of Deus’ revelations. And the team’s plan.</p><p>Ahhhh, yes, I’m so excited for the next 80k. Beta reader Aura called it the sexual tension roadtrip, and she was RIGHT. Also a lot of healing, understanding, and good ol’ falling in love.</p><p>Lotta misunderstandings to get through still, though. I have a feeling Lio will be misinterpreting Galo’s reactions for awhile. XD And Galo won’t quite understand Lio’s resistance to being wooed. I mean, they ARE getting married, after all. XD heh heh heh… and then there’s all the angst in their respective pasts… ;_; They need lotsa love.</p><p>Thanks for reading and commenting. :D ‘Tis an act of love, this.</p><p>Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/akadoreengreene">@akadoreengreene</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Down in the Underground</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Lio kisses Galo and cries over pizza. Or something like that.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kray Foresight’s voice pissed Lucia off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now that she knew what a monster he was, those calm, soft, baby-butt smooth vocals made her want to tear her hair out and scream at their audible lie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But such actions would have given her position away and prevented her from continuing to overhear what that voice was saying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had her subtlest Avoidance charm in place to circumvent the Sensor spells suffocating the magical aura of the castle, allowing her to remain all but invisible. Still, she tried to keep as quiet as possible as she peered through the lattice work of the second floor gallery barrier and gazed down into the quirky throne room. Kray had done some magical reconstruction to make it more boring and menacing, but he couldn’t wipe out the obvious abundance of personality that had gone into its creation. With swirls and colors and organic shapes, the room almost seemed to be fighting back from underneath the marble that had been placed on top of nearly every surface.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The center of the floor in front of the throne, however, displayed what was obviously its original design. Black scorch marks radiate out from an intricately carved and inlaid seal in the floor. In the middle, a perfectly round, dark crystal sat dormant, but Lucia could feel its capacity to channel power. The image of a dragon coiled around it, its slender body lined with thirteen more crystals labeled with runes Lucia couldn’t read. The dragon breathed out a curling line of Burnish fire that completed another circle winding around the dragon. Together, they formed a spiral with the main crystal at the center, and the full image was bound by a giant golden triangle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had taken a few moments for Lucia to piece all this together, as there was a large blob of solid iron covering part of it. Like something metal had been instantly melted and left where it puddled to cool.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The traitors Kray Foresight and Heris Ardebit were staring down at this blob.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kray clasped his hands behind his back. “Clean it up.” He began walking away without looking at Heris.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He almost killed me.” Heris’ voice was monotone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know why he spared you,” Kray’s silky voice replied in conversational contemplation. “Either because you weren’t important enough to notice or because he was being predictably foolish again. Probably both. If he had killed a few people in his rampage, I could have at least used that for show. His consideration is so inconsiderate.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ew, Kray wasn’t even attempting to hide his psychopathic assholery. How had they all missed it for so long? Guess the world was his stage...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Heris was silent, Kray looked back over his shoulder, burning eyes opening to study her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come now. You did say you’d do anything to save your sister.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heris looked steadily back at him. Rather than confronting him or requiring a promise to deliver on Kray’s implied offer as Lucia expected, Heris simply said, “I understand,” in a tone that carried layers of meaning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kray narrowed his eyes slightly. “Don’t worry, the Goblin King will be of no further threat to you. While it would have been better had he attacked me as planned, pulling back pure Wildfaere at the last minute will have seriously incapacitated him. Especially after enduring our techniques.” His eyes stopped seeing Heris and grew more intense as he continued. “All we have to do is wait for him to come to us. Our hold on the Labyrinth will keep him from flying or teleporting or using the Oubliettes. Isolated, walking through piles of all the Burnish he couldn’t save along the way, unable to draw on more than a sliver of his power. He’ll reach us in the broken, reckless state we need.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heris’ face didn’t change as she replied. “He’s not alone. You said Galo is with him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kray’s perfect poise wrinkled as he openly scoffed. “Requirement of the Labyrinth challenge to return him. I’m sure he’ll find a way to get rid of Galo. Being alone is far better than his company.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The crystal in the center of the floor seal suddenly warmed to a bright, teal-white glow, shimmering with iridescent colors. It reminded Lucia of the moon and gave her a calm, content feeling that pushed back against the disgust and uneasiness she had been feeling as she listened to Kray.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah,” Kray began in a pleased voice that made Lucia’s stomach turn. “The King has returned to his lost domain. Let the game resume.” Kray grinned and for the first time since she woke up, Lucia actually felt afraid. Giving a satisfied nod, Kray addressed Heris once more. “I’ll be back tonight. Keep working on your spells. We’ll have need of them before the week is out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then he vanished.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heris just stood there. Her gaze dropped to the shining crystal, her face shifting from careful blankness to complete despair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucia bit her lip and rose just enough to peer directly over the railing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sister of my sister, maybe enemy of my enemy</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucia paused in temporary indecision, then stood fully. Hopped over the railing and floated down until she was standing a couple yards behind Heris.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds like you’ve made some terrible choices that suck for everyone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heris spun around, startled, and was met with Lucia’s glare. She found her voice after a moment. “You’re…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aina’s sister.” Lucia crossed her arms, her eyes hard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heris’ face became remote and bitter. “You sound like your brother.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, he sounds like me!” Lucia grinned with a thumb to her chest. “It took a lot of training, but he’s a fast learner. Eventually.” Lucia held the humor in her smile and tried to tamp down the worry that accompanied affection as she thought of her loveable idiot of a brother.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Heris had obviously been Kray’s lackey long enough to be persistently paranoid. “How did you escape?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucia raised an assessing brow at Heris. “It wasn’t easy. You pack a nasty punch with your craft. The sleep spell on the castle was a doozy.” Then Lucia planted her hands on her hips and let her loose hair ripple with Burnish sparks. “But they don’t call me Lucia Fex the Hex for nothing! I never leave the house without my standard defensive wards and unworkings in place. And a few surprises of my own design.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heris looked at her evenly. “Even so, it took you days to break mine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh ho ho. Lucia crossed her arms. So Heris did have some pride left in her. Time to test if she had any spine. “You’re a good witch,” Lucia conceded. “Shame you suck as a human being.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heris’ eyes went blank and she stared back down at the solid puddle of iron on the floor and the angry, ambient glow of the Labyrinth’s Fae magic reacting to the intrusive metal. Lucia wondered what it had been.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kray’s not going to save Aina.” Lucia stated the obvious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heris’ defeated gaze back at her said she already knew. “Everything has been for nothing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a deep breath, Lucia took the plunge.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It doesn’t have to be.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Goblin King and his Labyrinth’s challenger hovered once more on the slope in front of the maze gates while soft teal flames dispersed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio quickly released Galo to stand on his own and hovered at eye level beside him, gratefully shifting back to his regular leather breeches, flowing shirt, and thin gloves with a subtle twist of local summoning magic. As kind as Aina was in lending her clothes, Lio didn’t particularly want to feel that… exposed while hunting down Freeze Force goons and facing off against Foresight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>(Author: But wouldn’t it have been hilarious if he HAD daisy </span>
  <em>
    <span>duked</span>
  </em>
  <span> it out? Haha… okay, I’mma go now.)</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The returning monarch marked how opposite their arrival was now from last time, less than two weeks ago.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of returning to the one place that felt welcoming and comfortable to him, Lio was sneaking into the land he had created and ruled… and lost. Rather than instantly merging with its magic, becoming the noticeable beacon of power to anything magical that would approach, he had to skulk in the proverbial shadows to escape the Sight of his enemy. Rather than drawing on a well of strong flames, Lio had to pull in a trickle, barely able to hold a few flares at a time before they slipped back out of his overloaded body. Rather than listing the rules of engagement for a fair fight with his challenger, he needed to break as many of the forced ones in play as possible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was one silver lining. Lio peeked over at Galo. He stood beside an ally rather than an enemy. But Lio supposed he should use that newer term loosely. He frowned at the bandages still covering injured arms and hands. Wrapped fingers clumsily trying to hold the Matoi rather than accept Lio’s help with healing. The rejection stung anew and Lio simmered for a moment before pushing the anger resolutely aside. The scorn of others didn’t define him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo apparently didn’t notice Lio’s turn in mood. He was staring in unrestrained wonder as he finally saw the reality of Parnassus. Clusters of communities quilted throughout the passageways of the maze, towns of homes and shops and oddities connected by the brick lacework, their walls and roofs and towers and bridges and spires rising however they pleased in a layered skyline of almost impossible shapes. In addition to brick, every manner of igneous stone and beautifully worked glass gave form to the structures the Burnish had lovingly created to fuse together a home.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It looked better before,” Lio couldn’t help but solemnly point out. He didn’t want Galo to think the shattered glass and broken towers and singed rooftops now scattered across their sight were the norm. “Less broken,” he finished quietly, a tightness catching in his throat. “And the Burnish gave it light.” The buildings looked so dim and lifeless without their glow of colors. The ache from the closed wounds across his chest and back pushed deeper and Lio struggled to keep his breathing steady.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In a swift and decisive movement, Galo held a fist out in his direction. Lio instinctively braced into a subtle defensive posture without giving ground. Galo blinked at this response and pulled his knuckles back an inch, but then held them steadily offered. Apparently for Lio to meet with his own. Dual-chrome eyes met the steady flame in blue.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll ignite that light again,” Galo declared with a nod to the Labyrinth and all the confidence of a fool. “It’s what we’re here for. Like it always should have been, as partners!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Fool me once…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Are</span>
  </em>
  <span> we partners?” Lio demanded, crossing his arms and leaving Galo hanging.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course!” Galo stuck his chin out and stubbornly pushed his fist a couple inches closer to Lio.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio raised a brow, looking disparagingly down at the offered appendage, and hooked one finger through the top loop of bandages covering Galo’s hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then let me heal you.” Lio demanded, accusing. “I need a </span>
  <em>
    <span>fully capable</span>
  </em>
  <span> partner right now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now Galo did pull his hand back, holding it in front of his chest in uncharacteristic uncertainty. Lio glared harder, done with this vestigial stupidity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It won’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>corrupt</span>
  </em>
  <span> you, you know. My Fae magic.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo looked surprised, then upset as he frowned and pushed back. “I didn’t say anything like that! That’s not what--” Galo cut himself off as Lio narrowed his eyes, daring him to lie about it. Galo dropped his gaze to glare at the bandages instead. “I don’t-- It wouldn’t feel right to heal these first. Not when everyone else is still hurt.” Galo clenched his fists through the bandages. “I always just blast ahead without thinking, but that’s what caused all this. So, this time... I need to remember. I need to stay focused on it.” Galo looked back up at him grimly. “The damage I caused. So I can fix it first.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio’s frown changed from anger to disapproval. With his fingertips, he pushed Galo’s chin to the side, facing him back to the view of Parnassus. “The damage is right in front of you. Focus on that rather than carrying it around here.” He tapped the bandages. “You want to help, then don’t hold yourself back from where the real damage is. You need to heal before you can help.” He shifted his fingertips to pull Galo’s face back towards him. “Show me that soul that burns to save others.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio watched Galo’s covered fingers flex out and then curl inward as he stared at the insistent Fae. Lio lifted his own chin a little higher and was rewarded by the red spark in Galo’s eyes burning brighter as he raised his face further in return. Nodded, shifted his Matoi to rest on his shoulder, and held out his arms towards Lio, palms up. Trust and resolve banished the last of the hesitation in his ever-steady gaze. A slew of complicated emotions tangled up inside of Lio at the look. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Endearing. Precious. Protect. Trust.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Shut up! Annoying. So annoying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a disgruntled huff to silence his thoughts, Lio drew closer and started unwrapping the left arm. “I can’t say I’m surprised you ended up injured wandering around the Labyrinth without my supervi--” Lio stopped. A cold shock burst in his chest as he reached the shredded skin above Galo’s elbow. The gauze was sticking in injuries that were far deeper than he had expected. Silent, and with a little magical help, he stripped the rest of the bandages and grafting weave off in a matter of seconds. Lio stared. These weren’t wounds that had happened swiftly. Tearing through skin and layers beneath, the mutilation showed all the signs of sustained abuse over time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What did this to you?” Lio whispered, aghast. There was nothing in his realm that should have done this… this drawn out torture.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo didn’t pull back physically, but his voice retreated haltingly into memory. “I was digging. He said… he was going to hurt you. And the Burnish.” The red all but vanished from Galo’s eyes as Lio watched them grow distant with remembered horror. “And then he sealed the exit. I was stuck.” Galo shook his head, clearly trying to pull himself present and explain, “Oubliette. So I dug. Until I couldn’t anymore.” His eyes focused on Lio again, unnaturally dim. “It was all I could do. Even though it did nothing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio looked back down at the devastated arm he held, imagining the frantic desperation Galo must have felt to do this kind of damage. And then remembered the swirl of Galo’s blood in his own fire that had broken through the dragon rage. The way Galo had held him steady in these lacerated arms afterward, despite the heat of his uncontrolled flames. Protected him even as Lio’s anguish had blinded him to the pain he must have been inflicting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not nothing,” Lio murmured as he raised the mangled palm toward his face, breathing healing flames gently over it as he drew it closer. The skin at its center was mostly healed by the time his lips found their mark, an intense rush of magic flowing up Galo’s arm at the touch, a bright, cool light rebuilding and restoring it to perfect health.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Lio drew back, Galo just strangely stared at </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> rather than the newly recovered limb for a few moments. Then quickly inhaled as if he had forgotten to breathe. “That’s amazing,” Galo enthused in awe as he finally held up his hand and twisted it back and forth experimentally. “It didn’t even hurt!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s simple enough,” Lio demurred, moving past the oddness. He made quick work unwrapping the other arm while Galo continued to flex and test the first one, but Galo stilled completely when Lio’s lips made contact again and didn’t stir even after Lio finished. Treatment complete, Lio looked up in question again at Galo’s silence, still holding the larger hand cradled in his own. Galo was flushed, staring at the lips that had healed him. Ah. It </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> different from the first time Lio had more reluctantly fixed his arm. Probably did seem odd to a human that Fae restorative magic was more naturally delivered orally. Perhaps it unsettled Galo. Lio pressed his lips together in irritation and waited for the inevitable critical comment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then Galo met Lio’s eyes again as he beamed with sincere enthusiasm, “It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>amazing</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” An unusual warmth spread through Lio at the blatant admiration in Galo’s smile. He tried not to react, but little stings and prickles he didn’t know he’d been carrying flickered away as misperceived rejections vanished. But then Galo sobered and turned his hand over to grasp Lio’s. “I need to figure out how to fix things, too. That,” Galo tilted his head towards the Labyrinth. “--isn’t all the damage. I know I hurt </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> much worse than this,” Galo raised his other now-healed hand in reference, then stared at Lio’s shirt as if he could see the wounds still beneath. “But I don’t have your gift of healing. And we never learned how to do medical care for a Fae person.” Genuine remorse filled his tone at that. Then shifted to determination. “What can I do that will heal </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Ambrosia? Or the stronger-than-magic thing?” Galo raised blazing eyes once more to Lio. Frustration and hope burned in their depths as he stepped closer. Puzzle pieces clicked into place and Lio realized with sudden clarity that this was part of who Galo was--he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>action. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He never gave up, he believed with naive faith that he should and </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> do something to help anyone, fix any problem, light whatever darkness he saw in the world.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To be unable to </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> anything would be painful to the point of complete denial. Lio bet Kray had known that when he locked Galo away. Had known it would destroy him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo gasped as flickers of lightning snapped across Lio’s form. “Lio?!” Galo’s alarmed expression deepened with sorrow, clearly believing the enraged Burnish’s reaction was aimed at him. Yet he didn’t drop the hand he held. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry.” Lio ground out, tamping down hard on the anger roiling in his fire. Clenched his teeth. He couldn’t let Kray keep driving his reactions. He was just feeding the evil. Lio released the furious energy as he refocused on the present and brought his thoughts back to their conclusion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So, Galo was a bundle of determined action. In as delicate a situation as they found themselves now, Lio’s challenge would be channeling that unstoppable caring force inside Galo towards the </span>
  <em>
    <span>right</span>
  </em>
  <span> solutions. Making sure it didn’t cause more harm than good, despite intentions. Hurting Galo even worse.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio’s stubborn heart once more flooded with a desire to protect this sincere source of innocent ideals, which was both precious and precarious in nature.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo was looking at him with every kind of wary bafflement after his silent emotional rollercoaster, and Lio almost laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a deep breath of resolve, Lio shook his head and squeezed the hand still holding his.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can bring healing,” Lio explained simply. “Saving the Burnish will make this right with me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo looked at him with immediate relief, renewed hope. Such a straightforward guy. He wrapped </span>
  <em>
    <span>both</span>
  </em>
  <span> hands around Lio’s.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He’s so grabby!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But... It was so warm, and Galo’s hands fit completely around his like they were shaped for each other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I won’t stop until we’ve saved everyone!” Galo promised, drawing even </span>
  <em>
    <span>closer</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and Lio could see that soul fire blaze in his eyes like the sun in the sky. Drawing Lio dangerously in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were only inches apart, far too close. And yet Lio realized he didn’t immediately </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> his personal bubble back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Which was </span>
  <em>
    <span>unnerving</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Terrifying.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Exciting!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Terrifying!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So he quickly pulled his hand free and began drifting towards the gate, trying to create space between them without implying rejection. Just enough so the sun didn’t incinerate him. “Then let’s go.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>****</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo couldn’t parse out all the energetic feelings tumbling around inside him, except that Lio’s presence filled him with new brightness and courage. He had never felt his soul burn with more determination in his life. Remembering Lio’s instinctive reaction to his offered fist bump, he tried to close the space between them as much as possible without being overbearing. A bit of a change to how he had previously treated Lio, Galo admitted. Well, just one more opportunity to show Lio he had improved! Things were going to be different this time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio held up a hand as they approached the gate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Things are going to be different this time. We can’t crash randomly through everything and hope for the best.” Galo scratched the back of his head, chagrined. Lio’s side-eye look would have been mocking if it wasn’t layered behind a warm amusement. Then he sobered and looked back toward the gate. “This time Parnassus is laid bare, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>we</span>
  </em>
  <span> need to remain hidden. Kray knows we’re here and is already searching for us with a variety of spells…” Lio’s gaze turned unfocused, seeing without his eyes. “And Freeze Force is patrolling.” He then fixed on Galo and turned towards him, tone reminding Galo that this was actually the Goblin King, a seasoned commander. “I’ll need to keep my flame low and separate from the Labyrinth as much as possible. I need to stay focused on shielding us. So I need </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> to stay quiet and listen to my directions--I’ll explain as much as possible as we go, but you are ignorant and I can’t explain everything fast enough and holistically enough to make everything a joint decision.” Lio spoke more deliberately, eyes demanding as he asked, “Can you follow my lead?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo nodded seriously. “I’m a fast learner.” Then he reached for the doorknob.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio grabbed his wrist in an iron grip with a glare. “You might as well knock and ask them if we can come in!” Keeping his hold on Galo, he sank right through the doorway and pulled his companion after him. Galo blinked in surprise as he found himself effortlessly on the other side of the contrary gate. Facing a stern King. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Follow</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Galo gave a sheepish smile as he realized this might be harder than he thought. Lio studied Galo’s expression and sighed, turning away and hovering down the path to the right. Galo followed several paces behind, determined to do better, trying not to shiver as he noticed the Labyrinth had lost its swelter and become cold. Lio looked back over his shoulder. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Learn,</span>
  </em>
  <span> if you want to lead.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo nodded seriously, taking mental note. Then grinned and trotted a little closer. “Lead? Slow down, I’m still a “following” beginner, here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio’s eyes did the soft-bright thing before he quickly turned forward again with an amused huff, never slowing his pace. A few moments went by before he responded. “We’re in this together and I know you don’t want any more unintended consequences.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The confiding inflection colored the words with understanding rather than a reprimand of past faults.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio was kinder than he should be, Galo realized with sudden clarity as he studied the slender back in front of him. Caring, even when it was undeserved or disadvantageous. Kray had known that (how?), weaponized it. It was a precious and precarious quality. Galo lengthened his stride a little more to stand beside and just slightly behind Lio’s shoulder. He needed to be in sync with this guardian of the realm if he had any hope of protecting him back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In as dangerous a situation as they found themselves now, Galo’s challenge would be guarding that unstoppable caring force inside Lio. Making sure it didn’t cause more harm than good to Lio himself. Didn’t expose him to the cruel manipulations of Kray that Galo now understood too well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Together,” Galo promised.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio didn’t look at him, but the rose scent grew stronger. And Galo noticed a distinctly pinker tint in the rare glimpses of exquisite ears that the breeze revealed as it wove through richly layered hair. In fact, that’s all he noticed for a couple minutes as he tried to win the visual hide-and-seek while they advanced along the familiar entry pathway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The path may be familiar, but Galo realized Lio was right in another way. Everything else about this challenge was different. The prize had definitely expanded in appeal. But also complexity. Ultimately, he had to blaze a new trail through this maze. A personal one. He drew an inch closer to Lio, enjoying the way the supernatural heat increased, made him tangibly aware of proximity to the King’s presence. Galo didn’t know much about romance, but Labyrinth rules or no, he knew that you did not simply take this prize. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So how did one gain it?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Because he was so focused on the figure in front of him, Galo halted immediately when Lio did. It was only when he unfocused from Lio that he realized why they had stopped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His jaw dropped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew this section of the Labyrinth, and this definitely hadn’t been there before. The formerly boring courtyard was a town square. The winding passages leading off from it were packed with charming, angled buildings and gardens that seemed almost to have grown there from the stone and brick in spindly but stable shapes. The darkness of obsidian and scorched brick outlined the liberal use of bright colors in paint and cloth and gems and glass. The eclectic streets and houses and shops and work spaces and public places he could glimpse along the passageways branching in every direction all seemed to fit perfectly like a jigsaw puzzle of old and mystical meets modern and high-tech. A contrary sign right by the entrance declared this town was Nix: A Place Full of Nothing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It would have been a fascinating location to run around and explore but for one chilling detail.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The bodies of the Burnish had been left to lie where they had fallen, fleeing and terrified. Frozen in unnatural sleep. Small piles of them were gathered by the entrances, as if Freeze Force had collected any stragglers throughout the maze and deposited them here. Twisted faces declared there was no sense of peace in their slumber.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hovering figure beside Galo suddenly radiated an intense heat that had him stepping back a couple steps. Wisps of white fire formed a horn-like crown. Galo shook his head, concerned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lio. Flame low!” he reminded him, scanning the streets and skies for potentially approaching Freeze Force troops. Pale-hot eyes shot over to look at him. Then deepened to their usual colors as the heatwave retreated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, you’re right,” Lio took a calming breath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then Galo felt a whole different kind of heatwave as Lio landed beside a young Burnish man, knelt and drew him into his arms. And kissed him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo had seen how Lio revived an injured Burnish previously. He probably should have expected the same, but he hadn’t. And he definitely hadn’t been on guard for the jolt to his heart and the stark contradiction of feelings that rushed over him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I wish it was me, no I don’t that’s awful, well I wish it wasn’t anyone else</span>
  </em>
  <span>--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo couldn’t pull his eyes away from how Lio’s lips fit so softly over the other man’s mouth and lit with healing fire, his own lips and hands tingling in memory and longing. The fitful tension in the man’s face eased, and he opened his eyes as Lio pulled away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Boss,” he murmured in relief and adoration. Galo’s agitation increased, and he looked away, drumming his fingers against his thigh, only to find he felt even more irritated if he wasn’t watching what he knew was going on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I need your help. Can you pass on the flame?” Lio asked quietly, supporting the man’s back as he sat up. At the Burnish’s nod, Lio leaned forward and kissed him even more deeply, the glow from fire passing between lips blindingly bright as Lio seemed to transfer more of it. Galo choked in dismay. This was worse than the first one!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man rose, invigorated in a way that Galo resented, and moved to another victim nearby. He knelt and Galo felt nothing when the man kissed another slumbering resident, until he noticed that it was Lio’s signature healing fire, cool-pale with tri-colored accents, that the man was able to use. A part of Lio he was carrying within him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For the first time in his life, Galo wished he was Burnish.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All of these feelings in Galo seemed extremely inappropriate for the situation. This… this wasn’t anything more than CPR! And he loved when people were rescued! And yet as he turned back and watched Lio press his lips to another Burnish victim with such a tender look in his eyes, something in Galo couldn’t help reacting. Objectivity was apparently not an option his speeding, burning heart would let him choose.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He tried not to stomp as he walked over to Lio. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Focus on the rescue</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I help?” Both Lio and the Burnish woman blinked up at him as Galo extended a helping hand. The woman smiled as she took it and the grudge inside Galo gave way to a genuine desire to make sure she was okay. It helped that Lio’s eyes were glowing up at him in gratitude.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In short order, Galo was gathering awakened Burnish together in the square, checking to make sure everyone was well and had everything they needed to fully recover. Lio had paused to cast a veil over the town with a series of weaving gestures so impossibly precise and graceful, Galo realized he had barely glimpsed the magical mastery Lio was capable of. Then Lio went back to work, kissing people like their lives depended on it. Because of course they did. Dammit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio focused first on awakening the Mad Burnish, the half-Fae people by birth who looked a little more fantastical than their fully human flame-filled counterparts. The Mad Burnish he awoke and gave his fire to seemed able to wake other Burnish for awhile. When Galo asked, they explained it was because Lio’s fire was connected to all of them through the Claim he bestowed when they arrived in Parnassus. As long as the boosted combination of their fires lasted, they could break the spells and spread the royal fire to others who could pass it on, too. So the process became exponentially faster with each person activated. Once an awakened Burnish used up the transferred fire, they turned their attention to getting their town back in order.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A couple hours later, as he bid farewell to the last Burnish restored, Galo looked for Lio, relieved to see him already on his way over to Galo and the small huddle of Burnish town leaders in the center of the square. Galo frowned as he studied Lio. First of all, he was walking, rather than hovering. Second, he looked… grayer. His eyes looked too quiet. The air around him seemed more still, like it was missing its current. The others didn’t seem to notice as they greeted his return with enthusiasm and began throwing questions at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, the town is now hidden behind a veil again,” Lio explained. “And this time it’s anchored in the fire I gave you. You yourselves can defend your home. Once we waken a few more settlements, we should be able to light the moon together and extend that protection,” Lio raised an indicating hand to the large, distant crystal in the sky that seemed to control the cycle of daylight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You need… </span>
  <em>
    <span>our</span>
  </em>
  <span> help?” The town mayor asked in genuine surprise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a beat of silence before Lio continued in his same tone of authority. “The spell will be much more stable if it isn’t reliant on or vulnerable to a single source.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone nodded, accepting this wisdom, but Galo wondered if it was the </span>
  <em>
    <span>complete</span>
  </em>
  <span> truth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio gestured efficiently at Galo. “We’ll move on to the next settlement. Keep everyone within the bounds here until we’ve driven out the Foresight Order invaders.” Galo startled as all the Burnish turned at once and spit on the ground in defiance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And,” Galo jumped in. Lio raised his brows in wary surprise. “We’ll be on our way once we’ve had some of your fine pizza!” He crooked a thumb at the pizzeria across the plaza. “My sister Aina said the Labyrinth has the best pizza ever, and I see they’ve just fired up the oven."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio glared at him. “We don’t have time--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Marco will be SO pleased to hear Boss is stopping by at last to try his </span>
  <em>
    <span>legendary</span>
  </em>
  <span> pizza!” One local leader practically bubbled with excitement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Legendary</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Galo repeated, gleefully sticking his face in Lio’s. Lio shoved his face back with a look that promised revenge.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This will be just the thing to buoy everyone’s spirits,” another announced, tearfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another nodded. “Perhaps we should dedicate a holiday? The King of Parnassus dined here on this day…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s certainly a special occasion!” the first one affirmed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They all beamed at Lio.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo could tell they had won. He waggled his eyebrows at Lio, delighted at the way the small monarch was trying to look professionally approachable and benevolent while absolutely fuming underneath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wonderful. We’ll talk </span>
  <em>
    <span>strategy</span>
  </em>
  <span> while we eat,” Lio’s inflection promised Galo it would be painful. And Galo had to acknowledge the smooth move that politely excluded anyone else from joining them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Lio grabbed his collar and began yanking him in the direction of the pizzeria, Galo merrily grinned and waved back at the Burnish townsfolk who waved back enthusiastically in return.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo heard them begin chatting again while he and Lio were still within earshot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I like him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well of course, he’s Aina’s brother, didn’t you hear?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And the King’s champion!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“About time he had someone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ohhhh, the sight of those pink ears again was worth any punishment that followed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One slice!” Lio hissed at Galo as he stormed over to an outdoor table, released Galo, and stiffly dropped into a seat. Rather than sit across from him at the small round table, Galo pulled a chair around to sit beside him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marco, the flustered owner, bustled over, bursting with excitement, and exclaimed, “I just knew you’d stop by this year, Boss! Eighteen is my luckiest number, and this is our 18th year in the Labyrinth!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Eighteen years</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and you never tried their pizza?!” Galo blurted out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio glared daggers at him, but the pizza maker laughed jovially. “You must be new. Boss is </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> busy. He takes care of </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone</span>
  </em>
  <span>, we can’t expect him to drop everything and visit! We knew he’d get to it eventually. It’s given us time to perfect our recipe!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio’s glare shifted to dismay as his citizen defended him so good-naturedly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure it’s wonderful,” Lio quietly conceded. “We’ll have two sl--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>One</span>
  </em>
  <span> of your finest </span>
  <em>
    <span>whole pies</span>
  </em>
  <span>, please!” Galo boisterously jumped in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The owner nodded to Galo, then beamed at Lio. “The </span>
  <em>
    <span>finest</span>
  </em>
  <span> for our Boss!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio forced the Galo-induced scowl off his face again and nodded with a “Thank you” while he kicked his companion in the shin repeatedly beneath the table. So much for Galo learning how to </span>
  <em>
    <span>follow</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not what you do with feet under a table,” Galo smirked suggestively at him once they were alone again. He nudged Lio’s knee with his own. Lio had no idea what he meant, and the only thing that came to mind was Meis and Gueira’s nauseating behavior… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The thought brought a sudden, intense ache. He shifted into his inner voice without thinking about it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Gueira. Meis</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo’s smile dropped as he watched Lio’s face change. He inched closer. Lio planted his foot against Galo’s chair and pushed off, scooting his own further away. Then he crossed his arms on the table and planted his forehead on them, cutting off any further attempts at conversation. He heard stupid Galo sigh and it took everything in him not to break his hostile silence and give the idiot a piece of his mind. But Galo stayed surprisingly quiet after that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio knew he was being cranky, but he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>drained </span>
  </em>
  <span>from expending so much of his fire while the flow of access leaked through in a trickle he could barely grasp hold of. And the anxiety of </span>
  <em>
    <span>waiting</span>
  </em>
  <span> made that fatigue worse. They didn’t have </span>
  <em>
    <span>time</span>
  </em>
  <span> to stop and smell the pizza when everyone was still under Kray’s power!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew his Generals would be especially targeted. An intense swirl of misery engulfed Lio at the thought. Where were they? Were they okay? Each wound in his chest was throbbing with every heartbeat, burning cold. He knew Gueira and Meis were still alive at least. He would have felt it if they had died. Profoundly. But he also knew what Kray was capable of that still technically qualified as keeping them “alive”. He tried to calm his breathing and swallow back the stinging terror. He was doing what he could to reach them as quickly as possible without being stupidly reckless again, and he knew that’s exactly what they would tell him to do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Plus, they had always told him to try the pizza, too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Okay. He would just think of this pizza thing as part of his duty. Setting a tone of normalcy and safety for the people here who were going to spend the next few days recovering and rebuilding. And then when he found Meis and Gueira, he could surprise them with his fresh pizza knowledge. It would probably cheer them up. The ache in his chest eased a bit. Okay, yes, he could do pizza. Lio took a deep breath and pulled himself resolutely back upright.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo was watching the plaza, following the comings and goings of the people with rapt attention. Lio noticed he had scooted closer again, and the first thing that came to mind was that he was in the perfect position to physically defend Lio as well as himself. Lio would have dismissed it as coincidence, but he had observed that Galo had great combat instincts. Maybe he couldn’t help acting on them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You realize you’ve started a war,” Lio began, sternly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re that mad?” Galo turned and gave him a look of disbelief. Then he leaned forward on his forearm, solidly in Lio’s space. “You can’t tell me you didn’t need to take a break. Your face is the color of day-old scrambled eggs.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio just stared at him in disgust for a minute, disturbed by that mental image, and then crossed his arms, legs spread, and leaned back to regain his space. “Not that. With the Burnish. Each settlement considers their pizza the best. Now they’ll take it personally if I skip it at the next place.” Lio flung out his hand in an exasperated gesture. “If I eat it here, we’ll have to stop for pizza each time!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh no!” Galo looked worried. But before Lio could feel justified, Galo continued. “Too much delicious pizza! Whatever will we do! How will you survive!” He thumped a fist to his chest dramatically. “Will mozzarella be our undoing??”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio gripped a fork tightly and bit the inside of his cheek. He would NOT give Galo the satisfaction of making him laugh at himself!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not about the cheese! You need to take this seriously, idiot!” Lio retorted ferociously, leaning into the shared space between them. Then he lowered his voice dramatically. “It’s the pepperoni that will take you down.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo blinked. Then he burst out in delighted laughter and ruffled Lio’s hair. Lio swatted his hand away and sat back, smoothing his locks, satisfied and strangely feeling much lighter inside. Galo had a very nice laugh, just free and goofy enough to make a moment feel perfectly genuine. Even as the joyful sound died down, it traveled to shine softly in his eyes as he looked at Lio and propped his cheek on a fist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You carry your laughter there,” he said with unconcealed fondness as he gestured to Lio’s eyes. “I can see it. But I’d like to know what it </span>
  <em>
    <span>sounds</span>
  </em>
  <span> like. I bet other people would like to hear it, too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio glanced away, uncomfortable with how tender and boldly personal Galo had gotten, and was relieved to see the owner himself approaching with their pizza.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Our very best Volcano Margherita Mega Max pizza!” he proclaimed, lifting it high like a sacred offering, before he placed it on the table in front of them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio’s eyes widened and his mouth began to water at the sight of the piping hot, melted ingredients and the scent of their savory aroma. The owner whipped out a pizza cutter and twirled it around like a throwing knife. In a flurry of swipes that defied mathematics, he segmented the pie into 13 slices.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Buon appetito!” The owner bowed and hurried back into the restaurant.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio finally looked up and noticed Galo was staring eagerly at him, rather than the pizza. Watching for his reaction. Lio schooled his features and assumed his most authoritative tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Getting a whole pizza when I only wanted one slice was ridiculous. You are going to finish the rest of this, Galo Thymos, because I am not hauling around leftovers, and leaving anything uneaten would be diplomatic suicide.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, sure, I’m doomed to eat pizza,” Galo rolled his eyes at him and made a </span>
  <em>
    <span>go on</span>
  </em>
  <span> gesture with his hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio moved with exaggerated precision, carefully unfolding his napkin, placing it in his lap. Arranging the silverware in its appropriate place around his plate. He took a sip of water. As Galo gave an impatient sigh and began jiggling his leg, Lio raised one regal brow and carefully took his mandatory slice. He paused, glanced over at the full kitchen staff blatantly watching through the window, and with his own sigh and a grim determination to put on a good show, took a bite.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was no show. Because this pizza was actually that good.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio stopped once the flavors hit his tongue. Stared down at the rest of the pizza slice. Then looked in wonder at a beaming Galo as he took a few more experimental chews. His eyes got even wider as the tang of the sauce and the rich, creamy cheese melted together in his mouth in perfect symphony.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This was </span>
  <em>
    <span>life</span>
  </em>
  <span>!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Th’is so good!” he declared with inelegant exuberance, his mouth still full. Made it even fuller as he took a second bite to join the first. And then a third, as if fitting more in would intensify the experience. Galo laughed at him, and gave two thumbs up to the delighted restaurant staff watching their Boss’ reaction. “Success!” he called to them. The owner rushed back out and gave Galo a triumphant hug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio didn’t care about any of it, he was inhaling miracle food and having a </span>
  <em>
    <span>moment</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe a little privacy?” Lio heard Galo ask the owner, who was mopping up the tears streaming down his face. Galo nodded to the window.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course! Enjoy.” And the proud pizza maker danced back into the restaurant, emphatically lowering the blinds on his way amid the sounds of celebration and bottles popping.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still chuckling, Galo grabbed a slice and took a casual bite. Lio finally did pause, mouth crammed full, suddenly curious what Galo’s reaction would be. He wasn’t disappointed. As soon as bite hit buds, Galo’s entire being shifted to intensely focus on the experience of flavor. He looked in wonder at Lio, who simply nodded and stuffed the rest of his crust in his mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo stuffed his entire slice in his mouth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio gave him a disgusted look, but he didn’t pause in reaching for another piece of pie. A glint flashed through Galo’s eyes, and he quickly grabbed another slice before Lio did, chewing like it was a race. Lio glared. And fully joined the competition.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They rarely broke eye contact as they downed one slice after another, savagely tearing through the pizza while still somehow managing to savor it. Lio distantly realized that they both must have actually been quite hungry if it was this easy to blaze through a pie without feeling full. They kept pace with each other until there was only the single 13th slice left.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Claiming the final territory would require him to be better armed, Lio decided. He snatched up his fork, and Galo was only a hair behind. They both stabbed the final slice with their forks at the same time. Glared at each other. Then Galo smiled mischievously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In two decisive moves, he had lifted his knife and sliced straight down the length of the pizza wedge, neatly halving it. Lio instantly focused on the half still speared by Galo’s fork, quickly trying to strategize how to reclaim it--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo lifted it and put it neatly on Lio’s plate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Slid it off his fork with his knife and leaned back with a smug smile. Set down his utensils and folded his hands, waiting. It was Lio’s move. Galo was watching him with a relaxed intensity, like he already knew and was anticipating the endgame.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heat flooded over Lio’s face. Indignant at the extraordinary presumption one Galo Thymos exuded in his direction, clearly declaring he knew Lio would reciprocate. And it was exactly what every instinct urged Lio to do. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fine</span>
  </em>
  <span>. When Galo opened his stupid, smirky mouth to speak, Lio shoved his own slice in. Revenge! But Galo just looked triumphant, oozing satisfaction as he wolfed it down, eyes shining with mirth at Lio.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Argh, he was being so… so SMUG! It made something burn in Lio, something that tried to pull him in, made him want </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span>… it was so contradictory! What a contrary man.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Cool down! Flame low</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he reminded himself, emphatically taking a bite of his own slice to try to calm the inner blaze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Looks like I can still predict your moves,” Galo’s smile was everything knowing and intimate and heated with both challenge and invitation. He had the audacity to </span>
  <em>
    <span>wink</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Lio wanted to scoot back against the pull, but in this moment that would have felt strangely like he was conceding something, so instead he focused very earnestly on his half slice and tried to ignore the way his face was on fire.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Galo apparently wasn’t going to let him off that easy. Galo's voice kept that strange intimacy, then he layered it with an honest, tender quality as he looked back at the Burnish moving through the square.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You did something extraordinary here, y’know. They all have a </span>
  <em>
    <span>home</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Lio paused mid-bite as Galo spoke, choked by a familiar thrill of fear at that word. It chilled him immediately. “Every person I talked to today said something similar. You’ve provided a place where everyone can build a life for themselves, somewhere they can fit. Even though they’re all so different.” Lio stared out at the townspeople, the fear abating but the choking feeling tightening his throat. Galo gave a contented sigh, then smiled and finished off the last of his pizza. “I know things are dangerous, but I’m kind of looking forward to seeing what other little miracles like this are out there in the Labyrinth. 18-years-perfected-pizza is deeee-vine!” Galo turned his light-hearted smile back to Lio, then immediately froze, stricken.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was only then that Lio felt them. Trails where drops of water had trickled down his face. Small streams warmed by his heated cheeks. Continuing to grow as their spring poured free.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo was right. His people were extraordinary. But he only ever admired them from a distance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eighteen years, Marco had been making something this special. Had extended the invitation. And he hadn’t once accepted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had spoken to another pizza maker recently. In his throne room, trying to utter words of solace despite his own impaled lungs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That Burnish chef had been a Labyrinth resident for 23 years. Lio would never have the chance to try his handiwork now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was dead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Lio hadn’t even bothered to sit down for one meal. He’d had 23 years of opportunities and wasted them all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Because he was terrified.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The bit of pizza still in his hand fell from nerveless fingers. Galo took a shaky breath and jolted into action, grabbing a large menu from a nearby table and propping it up in front of them, effectively hiding Lio from the sight of the plaza occupants. He reached out a tentative hand to console, but Lio hunched his shoulders inward and flinched back, clearly communicating his need for space.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Propping his elbows on the table, Lio rested his forehead on the backs of his hands and let go. His heart poured over with grief and regret and suppressed pain and it all flowed out into silent tears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Twenty six Burnish had been brought before him and killed by Kray while he had been imprisoned. He knew each of them, although he hadn’t let any of them know him. Had they all thought he was too busy for them? Too important?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had failed them in life long before their deaths.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His chest wounds were an </span>
  <em>
    <span>inferno</span>
  </em>
  <span> of burning pain but so </span>
  <em>
    <span>cold</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There were still so many Burnish hanging in the precarious balance, thousands of lives hanging by a thread. Precious people he hadn’t shown were valuable to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wept for them all. Each tear an apology. Somehow granting a measure of bitter relief through release, though resolution still eluded him. The strength of the feelings overwhelmed him, but there was no putting a stopper in it now that the pressure had an outlet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They know you care,” Galo said hesitantly, finally breaking his silence. After a few beats, Lio lifted his face just enough to meet Galo’s gaze. The blue eyes held their own deep sorrow. “That was the other thing that was obvious today. And when I talked to my siblings, who couldn’t even remember you. They remembered you were good to them. Even I couldn’t help but see it. Even when I didn’t want to. How much you treasure people. It’s what convinced me to listen.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both Galo’s words and the fact he was seeing him cry made Lio feel exposed. Lio expected shame to come rushing immediately in to overpower his grief, a horror at baring himself this way to a stranger like Galo… but it didn’t. The past few minutes, Galo’s quiet presence and protection had provided an element of comfort, the safety necessary to allow for this free expression in the first place. And his words were persuading Lio to find solace.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That scared Lio in a different way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio swiped a careless arm across his cheeks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A King shouldn’t cry,” he declared to himself as much as Galo, trying to quickly close this episode down. “His people need him to be strong.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo frowned and in one assertive move claimed Lio’s face with his hands. Thumbs tenderly swiped at tear trails as he spoke with conviction. “These mean you care. There’s nothing stronger than that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Stronger than magic</span>
  </em>
  <span>. There was a half-formed thought that came with that inner whisper. A Truth just out of reach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Labyrinth. He didn’t dare claim it as his own home, but he did </span>
  <em>
    <span>care</span>
  </em>
  <span> about this place the Burnish had built. That meant… </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span>...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo set his mouth in a grim line, and with a direct look, continued. “Your caring was stronger than the prejudice I didn’t even realize I was carrying. I’m sorry I called you heartless. Back before I knew you. It was unfair, and untrue, and wrong in every way. Like so many things I said. I’m sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio inhaled a shaky breath, stunned at the relief that apology brought. Since when had Galo’s opinion of him meant anything to Lio?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know better now.” Galo’s careful fingers cleared the last remnants of Lio’s tear tracks away. Such a soothing touch. “I know how strong it is.” He held Lio’s gaze with such sincere intensity. “Your heart.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo’s hands stilled. Didn’t pull away. Neither of them moved. Lio held his breath at the pure connection between them in that moment. This feeling of being truly </span>
  <em>
    <span>seen</span>
  </em>
  <span> and </span>
  <em>
    <span>lo</span>
  </em>
  <span>--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A throat clearing brought them back to the present. Marco was staring in red-faced surprise at them over the top of the menu. Mouth parted in a small ‘o’ at the way Galo held Lio’s face cradled so closely to his own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of the world came rushing back, and Lio quickly pulled away, feeling distinctly frazzled and confused. Galo’s hands hovered for a moment before they dropped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah. Dessert?” The owner asked with a quirk of his brow. For some reason, Galo turned very red at the question. Marco seemed to understand, if his grin at Galo was any indication. But he pointed to the open menu in explanation, clearly looking for a cue on how to proceed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio took a deep breath and shook his head, standing and pulling himself back together with a very well-developed internal command. He addressed the pizza maker in genuine gratitude, “Thank you, no, the pizza alone was a meal I’ll remember forever. You are an exceptional craftsman.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In an emotional change that gave Lio whiplash, Marco burst into tears again. Lio found himself in an enthusiastic embrace. He couldn’t help casting a wide-eyed look at Galo over Marco’s shoulder. Galo just grinned and gave him a ‘go on’ nod. Lio relaxed. And hugged this Burnish man back. And just like that, the remaining tension eased from Lio’s shoulders and the ache in his chest quieted, a strange peace settling on him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then the entire restaurant staff flooded out and turned it into a group hug. Lio sent Galo a bewildered look, but the idiot had already stood himself and glomped onto the pack.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio snorted. Idiot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was very warm.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo was delighted to see that with the reawakening of the Burnish, the Labyrinth pathways near the town had also transformed. There was a constant glow of transitioning colors between the bricks, as if Burnish fire was flowing within the walls themselves. A mysterious sense of life filled the passageways. Galo could tell that there were still invisible things, small glimpses there and then not, that clued him in to the occasional comings and goings of less humanoid Fae who preferred to remain unseen. Only now, it seemed more comforting than hostile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The walk through the Labyrinth to the next settlement was relatively short and quiet. Lio was concentrating, tracking things Galo couldn’t sense. But he seemed slightly more at ease than he had been earlier in the day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo was the opposite. He found it was actually quite difficult to fully recover from the sight of Lio crying. Even though things had ended on a high note and Lio had managed to bid farewell to the town with a calm expression, Galo had glimpsed the pain underneath and it dug into him like a particularly jagged splinter. The sight of Lio’s crumpled face soaked in tears had been carved into his mental space and hung there with perfect clarity. His desire to protect Lio intensified to a white-hot fire of determination in his soul.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So he’d just keep giving it his all. He was going to stay here with Lio through everything. He’d figure out the right way to keep his place beside him. So he could keep him safe. Winning the Labyrinth was seeming like a better and better option.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They freed the Burnish town of Umbriel that first day just before it got dark. The structures there were made entirely of obsidian, varying in thickness. The whole place had been completely black when they arrived, but as Burnish fire filled the glass-like stone, Galo was astonished by the display of colors skillfully contrasted through the dark overlays.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When it came to awakening the Burnish, Galo found that keeping himself busy with recovery coordination helped distract him from the way his intended was making out with everyone. After all, Lio was the leader of a people, so Galo knew he’d have to share him. He just… hadn’t expected to have to share him in such a </span>
  <em>
    <span>physically intimate</span>
  </em>
  <span> way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was relieved when they got back on the road between settlements.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio knew his way well, but he needed to concentrate on tracking Kray’s spell traps and the Freeze Force patrols. The fact that they hadn’t run into any of the Order threats spoke to Lio’s focus and Labyrinth navigational skill rather than the lack of danger, Galo guessed. So he practiced following, enjoying the hushed conversations when Lio could spare the attention and the companionable silences in between. When Galo could enjoy the, ah, view. Lio teased him once, saying he didn’t know Galo was capable of being quiet. Galo made several dramatic showing-off gestures with his Matoi. Audibly silent, visually loud. A state that was echoed by the silent laughter in Lio’s bright eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Three times that afternoon, the most efficient path forward was through a puzzle, riddle, or obstacle game. And Lio actually challenged Galo to take the lead in these controlled scenarios. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you already know how to do them,” Galo countered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do,” Lio acknowledged with a glint in his gaze. “But I want to see you actually give them the respect they deserve this time. I want to see how </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> would handle them.” There was an underlying eagerness in Lio’s reserved expression, an extra golden spark in his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh. Lio was </span>
  <em>
    <span>curious</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Galo felt a little thrill as he discovered one more of his partner’s loveable traits. Curiosity paired well with the way Lio loved to be challenged. For the first time, Galo realized he might actually like the more typically Fae-like qualities in the Goblin King’s personality. They might even be the traits he himself related to the most. Wasn’t that ironic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo teasingly complained about having to do all the work as he started each challenge, but he always managed to pull Lio in before very long. Galo decided if he was going to play games, he was still going to win his own way. And he decided his way was with Lio. It wasn’t hard, Lio obviously wanted to jump in, was just waiting for an excuse--sometimes to partner, sometimes to scold and equip or take over. It was really cute. Galo enjoyed the different energy Lio got in these moments, and figured if he was ever going to fully unlock that hidden humor he only ever glimpsed in Lio’s eyes, it might very well happen in one of these games.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were still a good distance from the next settlement when the Labyrinth finally grew dark with nightfall. Very dark in front of them, but then they both looked with satisfaction behind and saw that mystical, multi-colored glow above the two areas they had already freed and left well-defended. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should get some sleep,” Lio said, all faintly glowing colors himself. The only thing Galo could see in the immediate darkness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about you? I’m pretty sure you did most of the work today.” Galo crossed his arms, Matoi against his shoulder. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> tired, surely Lio must be, too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I need far less sleep than a human,” Lio dismissed. “Be grateful I’m allowing you to rest.” Then, still hovering, he drew his legs up and crossed them, rested the backs of his hands on his knees. “I’m going to meditate.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And just like that, he shut Galo out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo pouted as he dropped into a seat against the wall and set aside his Matoi. Sleeping alone seemed like a lonely idea now, while Lio was nearby.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he settled back against the bricks and closed his eyes, Galo sent a mental message to the memory of his parents, like he did every night. Openly telling them how he was feeling as he ended his day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Mom, Dad, I wish you were here so you could meet Lio. He’s amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who loves people so much. I don’t know why he tries to hide it. He’s not very good at it. I think maybe he just needs someone to take care of him back. I want to do that. I don’t want anything to make him cry again. And if he has to cry, I don’t want him to be alone.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo shivered at the thought, as a cold night breeze whisked along the wall he was leaning against. The fire from Umbriel didn’t reach this far, apparently. He supposed the Labyrinth’s previous warmth had come from its people, its King, joined with it. It was like the Labyrinth itself was lonely. If a heart like Kray’s was ruling it, it made sense that it was cold. Thinking of his former mentor, he shivered again and curled further inward as a now familiar remorse settled in his chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then suddenly it was warmer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>perfectly</span>
  </em>
  <span> warm as a weight settled against his shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo’s eyes flew open. Lio sat beside him, legs casually extended, looking slightly away. Sharing a heat that drove even the memory of cold away. His colors eased back the darkness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re like a nightlight.” Galo’s heart was too full to say more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re like someone who doesn’t know how to follow orders.” Lio turned to mildly glare at him. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Go to sleep</span>
  </em>
  <span> or you’ll be completely useless to me tomorrow.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>See, Mom? He’s very bad at hiding it.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo grinned and boldly wrapped an arm around Lio’s shoulders in a blatant cuddle, leaning into him to keep himself propped up, which forced Lio to do the same or get pushed over. He heard Lio give an exasperated sigh as he settled in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re hopeless,” Lio murmured as his head relaxed fully against Galo’s shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Quite the opposite,” Galo whispered back as he saw Lio’s eyes close and felt his body release the last of its tension. He dropped off so fast, Galo knew he had been right about Lio being exhausted. Long after the small King’s breathing had evened out, Galo stayed awake, watching the intricate play of shifting colors over lithe form.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hoped this was the first opportunity of many to enjoy it.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*****</p>
<p>Author’s note:</p>
<p>Okay, come back and read this chapter again after chapter 13. The part where Marco interrupts their moment. Hahahahahaha….</p>
<p>I dare you.</p>
<p>Actually, SO MUCH of this fic will take on second and third meanings once you read later parts. XD I can’t help it, I keep giving sneaky winks to myself for my own amusement as I write, since I know the future.</p>
<p>Speaking of, rest assured, Galo will NOT accidentally kill Lio by winning the Labyrinth cuz he thinks they’re getting married. XD That’s not what that plot line is leading up to, just in case you were worried. It will be intense, though.</p>
<p>I realized since most people have never seen Labyrinth, I should probably point out the influences. I’ll probably go back and do that in previous chapter notes. I think I already mentioned that the chapter titles all some from Labyrinth song lyrics. In this chapter, it’s mostly me making things up or pulling from Promare. The Labyrinth in the movie did not have towns or fire or Burnish people. The themes of healing fire are also purely from Promare. As is pizza. More Labyrinth influences coming up in future, however.</p>
<p>Sorry for the week gap in posting, I got busy and distracted and stuck on a few things. Still planning to be consistent from here on out. XD</p>
<p>Thanks for reading, I’d love to hear to any thoughts you’d like to share back.</p>
<p>More rambles on <a>Twitter</a> as usual. Also, the giveaway for the PROMARE HYPER FIRE STORYBOARD BOOK ends tomorrow 9/20 at 8pm, so enter while you can!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Though We're Strangers Til Now</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which they both get a clue and go on being clueless. Lio wages war on Galo's shirt. Galo proposes?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lucia flew as fast as she silently could through the castle, scanning intently for Heris.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had discovered something. Or rather someones. Who she really wanted to wake up, and the fastest way was the original weaver of the sleep spell.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucia had just finished a long day working on the mech with Deus-ghost, who had an annoying habit of lecturing and telling bad jokes and being gruffly, goofily affectionate. It made Lucia want to snap sometimes, but it was so obviously an outcome of his loneliness, that she found herself telling bad jokes back. He always laughed too hard, and she tried not to find it endearing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On her arrival back in the castle for the night, she stopped by the sweets pantry, which for some ridiculous reason was kept under bolt and key next to the wine cellar, which didn’t even have a lock. She grabbed her usual supply of pastries and candies, and began to wind her way up through the levels of the citadel to her crashpad in the attic. This place was huge, crazy, and ever changing, so she intentionally took a different route each time to explore. And this time it had really paid off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Usually, she avoided Freeze Force like the plague, but when she happened to stumble upon their castle HQ, she couldn’t resist knocking out the stupid guards and seeing what she could get her sticky hands on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Things instantly got very real when she found the friends who had been taking care of her through her Burnish transformation and its various trials and tribulations. Meis and Gueira were unconscious like all the other Burnish she’d come across, but Freeze Force had secured them ankle, neck, and wrist, with iron. It was obviously painful, leaving raw marks on the surrounding skin. A variety of bruises spoke to the duo’s current use as punching bags for frustrated Freeze Force.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Furious but focused, Lucia precisely deployed her Burnish lightning with a twist of her human magic and snapped all the bindings off in one move. She gaped in surprise when the two Mad Burnish Generals transformed into very cute little dragons the second the bindings were removed. They remained asleep, though, so she scooped them up and got the hell out of there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Heris!!” Lucia cried in relief when she finally found the witch in one of the many magical laboratories throughout the castle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shh! Why are you always so loud?” Heris glared, looking tired and stressed out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucia ignored her and held up the two dragons. Anger shifted to surprise in Heris’ face. “I forgot about them,” she murmured.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well luckily I didn’t!” Lucia glowered, pulling them back and cradling them to her chest. “We need to wake them up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heris frowned. “It’s a risk.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’ll be able to advise us on the Burnish side of our strategy!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Heris pushed her glasses further up her nose and looked nervously at the Generals, obviously preferring to let sleeping dragons lie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucia hovered higher and crackled with anger, raising her voice. “I’m waking them up with or without you, so look at it this way--you have one opportunity to do the right thing, help us, and gain a sliver of our gratitude, or you can keep cowering and make </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure</span>
  </em>
  <span> we’re all pissed off at you!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heris was gaping at her. Then she got a very strange bittersweet look on her face. Taking a breath, she straightened, nodded, and began weaving the counterspell.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Lucia said, slightly begrudging.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Heris smiled softly and spoke quietly as she continued to work.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m glad she had a sister like you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo woke from a strange dream. Masked dancers had been offering him forbidden fruit while walking through mirrors and telling him to make a wish.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he blinked his eyes open, it was dawn in the Labyrinth, and four Freeze Force soldiers were 20 feet away and drawing closer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo sucked in a breath and felt a hand swiftly press against his mouth, matching the one that had already been planted on his chest. He turned startled eyes to Lio… and realized he could see him but also see right through him. It was like he was seeing what was there and what was not there at the same time, and his head immediately began aching until he turned away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Must be an invisibility spell, Galo reasoned as the patrol stomped closer but didn’t slow or seem to see them. Still, Galo had never realized how threatening it was to see those large steel body suits and guns until he was sitting beside someone he cared about who could be hurt by their very presence. Killed by a touch. He wound an arm around Lio and turned, leaning over him against the wall to make sure his body blocked as much of Lio’s more vulnerable Fae one as possible. Lio froze at the encompassing closeness. Galo realized the spell’s disorientation didn’t seem to affect him as much if he just looked steadily into the wide eyes in front of him. Great </span>
  <em>
    <span>Blazes</span>
  </em>
  <span>, they were </span>
  <em>
    <span>so beautiful. </span>
  </em>
  <span>And then roses tinged cheeks and air, and he began to forget the reason he’d pulled Lio into this position. He held his breath as Lio leaned forward and broke that visual contact, drew his face alongside Galo’s, his heat softly caressing Galo’s cheek. Whispered into his ear. “Stay silent and keep hold of me.” Ooooo...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Reality crashed back with the sound of nearby steel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh. Right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blood rushed up Galo’s neck and he did as commanded. Tried not to get distracted as Lio twisted in his arm to get a clear view of the departing squad. Flame burst to life at the ends of Lio’s fingertips as he drew a curved bow in the air and grabbed it like it was solid, summoning four fire arrows along its length at once. Before Galo could blink, the arrows snapped across the space between them and the patrol, slipping between the barest gaps in armor, one sinking into each of the four soldiers and disappearing in wisps of colored smoke. They didn’t break stride or seem to notice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio and Galo waited with bated breath until the figures rounded a corner. Then Lio released his bow of fire and the extra tension in his body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was the third patrol through here this morning,” Lio spoke quietly as he rose, breaking free of Galo’s hold and hovering into the air, just peeking over the top of the wall. Galo shivered at the loss of warmth. “There are more of them out today and they’re more active. Our efforts have not gone unnoticed. Which is advantageous--always nice when the target comes to you.” Lio’s tone held a note of satisfaction. But with the danger still recent, Lio’s distance and exposure made Galo anxious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What did you do to them?” He stood directly below Lio, in arms reach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio looked down. “Magically tagged them. I’ll be able to transport them at will when the time is right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo grinned up at him. “Bog of Eternal Stench?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio dropped beside Galo, eyes shining. “Not a bad idea.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then he drifted back onto the path and Galo followed closely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a testament to the darkness of the Labyrinth last night and the power of Lio’s proximity that Galo only just now realized that things were written on the walls here. Lots of things. In lots of colors and sizes and languages, as far ahead as he could see.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turned in wonder to ask, but Lio was already giving him a knowing look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The Walls of Wit,” Lio explained. “You’re looking at the history of the Labyrinth’s population in their own words. However they chose to share it here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fascinated, Galo ran ahead a little, skimming the ones he could read. There were poems, riddles, declarations of love and war, abstract pictures, and lots and lots of quips and jokes. There was a definite surplus of glee in the graffiti, which Galo realized said something profound about the Labyrinth and its inhabitants.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> the Parnasties?” Galo exclaimed, laughing loudly as he spotted the attribution on several clever puns as he walked along, realizing he recognized the name from Aboveground street art.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shh!” Lio drew closer. “The patrols have extended listening spells. They’re tricky.” Galo clapped a hand over his mouth. Lio shook his head. “We can talk </span>
  <em>
    <span>quietly</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Then he began a wild tale of a gang of notorious Burnish pranksters and punnists who worked on their craft in the Labyrinth and made covert journeys Aboveground. They mostly provided harmless, slightly non-legal entertainment for humans, and occasionally accompanied the Mad Burnish gangs to provide distractions for stealthy recon and rescue operations.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo thought this was the most Fae thing he’d ever heard, breaking the human laws with merry mischief. And he admired the hell out of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your brother was one of the newest Parnasties, I believe,” Lio commented casually.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo grinned. “Yeah, I can believe that, Varys is pretty bad-ass. One time he--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Remi,” Lio corrected. Galo stared at him, floored. “Remi actually led a squad the past few months.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo gaped at him, unable to imagine his responsible, rule-following brother leading a gang of humor hooligans.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio looked very amused. “I believe he got a tattoo and everything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo stopped in his tracks, mind blown.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And a girlfriend. Sort of.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo’s voice took on a hint of awe. “What is in that Burnish fire?!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo made it a habit over the next half hour of finding every witty Parnasty remark tangled among the rest on the walls and reading them aloud to Lio. Lio’s eyes blazed in mirth and he read back a few of the ones Galo missed. Galo choked back enough laughter for the both of them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio kept very close to him. Close enough that Galo had to actively resist leaning even further in with every deep lungful of beckoning roses. Maybe it was just because Lio wanted to make sure they kept their voices down, wary of any potential Freeze Force goons on the other sides of the walls they walked between. But the reason mattered less than the fact that Lio seemed perfectly relaxed around him now. At ease in his close presence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hm. Another Lio trait: for all his cranky defensiveness, he was incredibly forgiving.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo fell into silence, letting several witty lines pass on the walls as he flipped through a mental reckoning. It wasn’t pretty.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had attacked the Goblin King. Then tried to defeat his Labyrinth. Supported his worst enemy beforehand and then paved his way to take over his kingdom and threaten his people. Had been just as much of an enemy as it was possible to be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And he’d been a real jerk. All the insensitive comments, the insults. Galo’s heart sank again as he recalled them. They hadn’t felt good at the time and they felt even worse now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In return, Lio had saved him so often he lost count. Healed his body. Freed him from imprisonment. Restored his hope. Welcomed him here. Warmed him at night. Shielded him from patrols. Taught him about the Burnish, the Labyrinth, himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Damn, that was an unbalanced ledger. And here Galo was, trying to become his permanent companion in equal partnership.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t enough to gain his favor, Galo realized. Lio was too kind, he gave it too generously. To too many people, Galo recalled with mild irritation, thinking of the number of people who had enjoyed Lio’s lips the day before. No, for it to mean something more, for </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> kisses to have deeper meaning than anyone else’s, for Galo to truly stand on fair footing with this source of universal warmth, he needed to </span>
  <em>
    <span>win</span>
  </em>
  <span> it. A special place in Lio’s heart. Something unique, just between them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked over at Lio, who had drifted close to the wall to read a couple of smaller, older, faded lines with a nostalgic look, ankles elegantly crossed. He had taken his heat with him and Galo gave a shiver as the cool Labyrinth air again reminded him what it was like to be without his partner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Ainaaaaa! Help!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No, he could figure this out!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>...What </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> Aina do??</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He could practically hear her voice. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just be kind and considerate, Galo! Be yourse--</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yeah! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Considerate</span>
  </em>
  <span>! Okay, first thing, make it up to Lio for being such a jerk to him in the past. Galo was going to be SUPER considerate. Hospitality was practically a religion for the Fae, and Lio was royalty on top of that. Galo had to figure out how to be a considerate guest in every sense of the word.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt his soul burn.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He could do it! Time to be awesome!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Since being loud wasn’t an option, he stuck out his chest and lifted his Matoi high in energetic resolve.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio turned back, hovering in Galo’s direction, and blinked in surprise at the Fire Fighter’s exaggerated pose. Then he suddenly halted, staring at Galo’s fitted black shirt. Brows moved towards hairline as a light pink dusted over his cheeks. He quickly looked away as Galo looked down, wondering if he’d gotten a stain or something. Nope. When he looked back up, Lio was staring again as he hovered closer, but shook his head and met Galo’s eyes. Then he started a totally random topic of conversation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I forgot it was cold here at the moment,” Lio cleared his throat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo quirked a brow. They were talking about the weather now? “Uh…” If he agreed, was it complaining to his host? He tried to think of a considerate response, but vague small talk wasn’t his norm at all. Lio’s face shifted as if an idea occurred to him. Then Galo’s breath caught. Lio’s bewitching eyes did something he’d never seen them do before. Their gold glowed more prominently, light caught in what Galo could only describe as a very alluring, very </span>
  <em>
    <span>clever</span>
  </em>
  <span> gleam.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was looking at Galo through those dense, pale lashes, voice low and intimate as he continued. “It will be a more </span>
  <em>
    <span>pleasant</span>
  </em>
  <span> journey if I keep it warm.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, pleasant, warm,” was all Galo could stutter until Lio drifted a little ahead and finally broke the intense eye contact. As Galo’s mind cleared a bit, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>realized</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Aw, dammit, Lio was already out-considerating him!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Although apparently “warm” to Lio was actually hot. The Labyrinth around them became as sweltering as it had originally been, and then some. Galo could feel the sweat soaking through his top as they continued steadily on, but remembered their conversation from the castle. Lio chiding him for not wearing a shirt as he pressed his hand against Galo’s bare skin. And Galo was going to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>considerate</span>
  </em>
  <span> no matter how uncomfortable it got. Going around the Labyrinth with Galo half naked was probably not what Lio had in mind for this “pleasant journey”.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can make yourself comfortable.” Galo looked over at Lio’s words to see masterfully schooled features.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo raised his chin stubbornly. “I’m fine.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hah, trying to be thoughtful?! I’ll show you how thoughtful Galo Thymos can be!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo might have mistaken Lio’s expression for a pout if he didn’t know better. Whatever it was, it was unfairly cute and made Galo’s cuddle instincts shoot to 10.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It got hotter after that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They made it to a courtyard with a fountain and Galo decided a little temporary relief wouldn’t hurt. Lio could always just not look for a few minutes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He dropped to sit on the fountain’s edge and peeled off his sweat-soaked top. Then plunged it in the cold water and lifted it over his head and squeezed the cool liquid over his hair and shoulders, releasing a deeply satisfied sigh as it trickled down his heat-flushed skin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A tidal wave of roses crashed over him and almost made him swoon with the happy, vital feeling the potent scent flooded through him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes were drawn instantly to Lio, who was looking at him with laser intensity, a loose fist in front of his mouth as he studied Galo’s form. Unwavering, unblinking, like a predator tracking its next meal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked hungry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No, wait, probably angry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s just for a minute,” Galo pouted, waving his shirt in his hand to show he hadn’t forgotten it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Okay, now Lio definitely looked miffed as he dropped his hand and frowned. Then determined. He darted over and sat down beside Galo. Snatched the shirt out of his hand, setting it aside with a glare no shirt deserved.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then apropos nothing, he pointed across the courtyard and began explaining the tells to look for that indicated hidden wall openings. Galo tried to follow, and after a moment realized it was actually interesting intel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The thirteenth brick down…” Galo murmured, and then grinned as he realized he could see three hidden openings in this courtyard alone. He turned to Lio, beaming. “That is so cool! And clever!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The gold in Lio’s eyes shone very warmly at him. “You’re quite clever yourself, Galo.” Galo chuckled at the joke, but Lio shook his head, expression turning serious. “When you </span>
  <em>
    <span>listen</span>
  </em>
  <span>, you have a better natural understanding than almost anyone. When you’re not blocked by lies, you catch on quickly.” Lio’s regard was unwavering and sincere.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something caught in Galo’s throat. Outside of his biased family, no one ever said anything like that to him. He hadn’t been able to understand much of what Kray and the Order tried to tell him, so he always just kind of accepted that he was too dumb. He’d certainly been plenty blind going into this whole situation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Lio’s eyes told a different truth, and it moved something deep inside that he couldn’t name, shifted something beyond his awareness. Like something he didn’t know hurt was suddenly soothed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>observant enough to notice something was missing. He peered further over Lio’s shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My shirt!” He straightened and looked around their sitting area. “Where’d it go?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah. Brownies must have gotten it.” Lio assumed a look of regret that didn’t seem quite natural. He didn’t look around at all for the missing apparel. “You’ll never see them, but they keep things clean around here, and they’re really picky about dirty laundry in particular.” Lio leaned a little closer, his eyelids lowering a fraction. “They must not have been able to resist.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo was astonished when the Goblin King actually broke with personal space and placed a hand on Galo’s shoulder, using it as leverage to push himself up. He stood over Galo, eyes gleaming with intense inner light in his backlit face, strong fingers trailing a little ways down Galo’s arm as they dropped away. “Might as well make the best of it.” Eyes and tone both held a smirk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo got the distinct impression that Lio was playing some hidden game with him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He found he didn’t mind at all. Not when Lio looked at him like </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they moved on, Lio seemed in a much better mood. The air became a decidedly pleasant temperature. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a moment it actually dipped to chilly again. Galo shivered slightly, his exposed chest and stomach muscles clenching in response.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He heard Lio suck in a deep breath, then let it out shakily. Maybe he was cold, too. But as Galo looked over in confusion and concern, Lio’s expression was anything but cold. It held a fiery kind of sultry satisfaction. Then it shifted to chagrined as his gaze moved from Galo’s activated chest to his eyes, and the temperature went back to perfectly comfortable. It was strange, then, that the tips of those lovely, tapered ears were heated to red.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sight rocketed Galo’s thoughts in a very specific direction. Maybe if he won the Labyrinth and they got married, Lio would let him touch them. Run his lips over that delicate edge. See how redhot they could actually get. A fire ignited low in Galo and he couldn’t for the life of him remember what it was like to be cold.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>****</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Goblin King - 1; Stupid, Useless, Unnecessary Shirt - 0!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio smacked a hand to his face at the juvenile internal crowing that was giddily racing through his mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was being </span>
  <em>
    <span>so bad</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He almost never let himself go like this. Almost never gave in to the devious, playful impulses that often ran like an undercurrent through his thoughts. His default was to sternly shut them down, be responsible, be a good example.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For some reason, Galo’s presence set off a wild inner sparkle. Laughter was bursting to escape. Fire wanted to burn free. His heart was frustrated with its usual silence, it wanted to be loud and sing everything, to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>known</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wasn’t sure what to do with it all, but the feeling seemed to have a mind of its own as it wriggled free into mischievous behavior.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And it felt sooooo good.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He glanced at the stunning, im</span>
  <em>
    <span>PEC</span>
  </em>
  <span>cable (haha) chest on display.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rewards were definitely creating a positive feedback loop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This was terrible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Poor Galo. Had no idea.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a clever guy, he was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>dense</span>
  </em>
  <span>... in some undeniably endearing ways. And Lio was finding the combination incredibly... desirable. Like the standard Claim Lio already had on him wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>enough</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He wanted something closer. More… exclusive. Just </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio reached up and tried to rub the additional heat from his cheeks. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Stop it</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They didn’t seem to be listening to him at all anymore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t know what it was about that man, but every interaction felt like a game. Only, unlike most games others had forced him to play… this one was </span>
  <em>
    <span>fun</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Thrilling. It appealed to a part of him he’d set aside, an impish Fae quality that he had learned to be wary of. Had seen it in others of his kind and associated it with pain. Why was this different?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He’s safe.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What??</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio stopped his forward movement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He’s kind. He’s brave.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was true. Galo had cared for him in so many ways, he lost count. He carried an iron weapon but then guarded Lio against its bite. Listened to him. Freed him from imprisonment within his own rage. Held him despite hurt arms. Sheltered him. Welcomed him into his family and home. Cared for his wounds. Warmed him at night. Restored his hope. Came back to fight for the Labyrinth. Cared for his people. Made him eat, rest. Shielded him so he could let out the hurt. Reminded him what was important. Protected him from patrols. Kept him company.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He cares, too.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe it wasn’t the game but who you played with that mattered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo continued walking a few more steps until he was beside Lio. Galo tilted his head at him in inquiry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A strange pang echoed through Lio’s heart. Such honest eyes, such an earnest fire forever steady in their depths. Lio drew in a deep breath, a strangely joyous energy filling him. He had never seen anything so beautiful. They promised a completely different set of rules, ones intended to </span>
  <em>
    <span>protect</span>
  </em>
  <span>. To </span>
  <em>
    <span>share</span>
  </em>
  <span> the game and the winnings. Fire fueling fire, life strengthening life.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio wanted to keep playing this game. And he didn’t even know what winning meant. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But with radical hope promised in the soul looking back at him… he found that uncertainty held its own appeal. The reward would be a surprise--part of the game itself!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Exciting.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Terrifying.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Exciting!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Feeling tingly, Lio darted in front of Galo and faced him. Leaned forward. “Race you to the next intersection.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A smile burst across Galo’s face, instantly enthusiastic. Blinding. That core of red fire in his eyes became everything as they held Lio’s with boundless joy. A competitive twinkle accented the adoration. “It’s not fair if you fly.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>So simple. So beautiful.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio gave Galo’s cheek a couple of pats. “Who said I had any intention of being fair?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Somehow, Lio didn’t think that was a requirement for this particular game.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flipping around, he shot down the corridor, enjoying the wind tugging his hair and the sound of Galo’s indignant cry chasing after him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sweet inferno!! Galo couldn’t decide which he enjoyed more: moments </span>
  <em>
    <span>without </span>
  </em>
  <span>threats, where Lio’s affectionate, playful side took over, or times when the Freeze Force goons crossed their path and Galo finally had an excuse to hold him. It was simply practical. The invisibility spell required contact, and an arm around the waist was both (deliciously) secure and left Lio free to shoot his arrows. And then they could share in the triumph of the moment together. It was amazing!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Around midday, they freed the small town of Tarvos, where Lio ultimately had to pull Galo away from it’s unusual hybrid-animal reserve. But not before the visiting human had named every critter there and developed a bond.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were only in there 10 minutes!” Lio exclaimed, trying to help the Burnish wranglers get the bull-crane (name: Gallic) to leave Galo’s side and get back in its field.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo sniffled tearfully as he waved to the majestic creature, then turned seriously to Lio as he landed back beside him. “Lio.” Galo placed a hand over his heart. “It doesn’t take very long to bond when there’s a </span>
  <em>
    <span>soul</span>
  </em>
  <span> connection.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio must have overexerted himself with Gallic, because he became very red. Which made Galo’s mind wander into dangerous imaginary territory again. He had his own internal wrangling challenge as they left Tarvos.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then, following an afternoon of Freeze Force hunting and Labyrinth games, they made it to a second, larger town, Albiorix, just in time for an early dinner. Lio explained that this is where the Mad Burnish completed much of their tactical and rescue training, and Galo could see a few structures that reminded him of Burning Rescue bootcamps. As they feasted on another pizza (of course delicious), Galo asked lots of questions about the differences he saw between settlements. Lio seemed to enjoy his questions and explained about the unique cultures, blended languages, and economic mixes at play in this collision between the Fae and human worlds. Galo smiled as Lio didn’t bother hiding his enthusiasm and admiration for his eclectic mix of peoples.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s really a bridge between worlds,” Galo affirmed with a smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A shadow descended over Lio’s gaze. “A bridge has two sides. Now both are dangerous to each other. Because I formed that connection.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hm. There was a lot about Lio and the Labyrinth challenge that Galo still didn’t understand, but wanted to. “Why </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> you make it a portal for humans to cross over to the Fae world?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio shook his head, pushing away his plate and resting his arms on the table. “It is a Fae kingdom on Earth, so it is a connection between. It’s a place for Fae and humans and everything in between to live, so it is a connection between.” Lio’s lips quirked and he gestured to himself. “It was founded by me, half and half, so it is a connection between. It’s in the very nature of this place. It can’t be anything other than what it is.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But it wasn’t originally so dangerous.” Lio stared down at the table for several seconds before continuing. “I’m not the one who set those stakes. I played by other people’s rules. And lost. I think they had been planning to separate from humanity for a long time. And my birth and everything I did became a hitch in those plans.” Lio ran his thumb back and forth along the edge of the plate in front of him. “They implied they wanted a way to control the access humans had to Centauri. But it's obvious by the measures they put in place that they wanted to sever it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo decided there was nothing he hated more in the world than that mix of hidden pain and open defeat on Lio’s face. He crossed his arms on the table as well, and growled, “I don’t know why they were worried about restricting access. Why would a human want to go to some Faerie world anyway? They sound like terrible company.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio’s hand halted its movements. Then turned into a fist as it rested on the table and Lio looked up at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You still hate everything Fae, don’t you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh hell, now that look of hurt and betrayal was directed at </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not what I…” Galo began emphatically, then paused, realizing that’s exactly what he had said. Old habit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In deliberate movements, Lio took something from his pocket with a flourish and in a swooping motion that had the same effect on Galo’s stomach, he pulled back the top layers of his hair and snapped an elastic around the bunch a few times. Revealing the full glory of both ears and a perfectly formed jaw and neckline. Lightning shot straight through Galo’s heart. If Lio’s eyes had been any less fierce, Galo would have missed his next words entirely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There was more than one kind of poison in you. I got rid of the one I could reach.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stood as the pizzeria owner approached. Thanked the woman, and headed for the road out of the settlement without looking back to see if Galo was following.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course he was. And he managed to maintain the tense silence until they were out of hearing range of the town.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” So much for being considerate enough to deserve Lio.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio’s shoulders remained visibly tense. “Do you hate being in this Faerie world?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? </span>
  <em>
    <span>No</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you think I’m terrible company?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo reached forward and grabbed Lio’s arm to get him to face him. He swallowed hard when he saw those eyes he adored were overly bright, but not from their usual inner fire. And a terrible feeling settled in his stomach as he noticed they had split their colors again. Purple and gold, no longer joined. His careless words had done that. Lio turned his face away again, and Galo spoke with conviction and all the vulnerability of remorse.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just say stupid things sometimes without thinking. I don’t hate the Fae.” Lio didn’t look at him, just gave a little nod of acceptance for the apology. But Galo continued. “I like a lot of things </span>
  <em>
    <span>about</span>
  </em>
  <span> you being Fae.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio sighed. “You don't have to </span>
  <em>
    <span>lie</span>
  </em>
  <span>, just work on being less judgmental.” He pulled his arm free and started forward again. “That’s all.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo stomped his foot. “I like your games,” Galo declared. Lio didn’t reply as he continued forward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I like your cleverness,” Galo continued stubbornly, marching just behind Lio. “I like your curiosity. Your creativity. I like when you challenge me. I like how crazy strong you are. I like the gold in your eyes. I like all your glowy colors. I like the way you use your fire. I like the wildness you welcome here. I like that you take hospitality seriously. I like that you always tell me the truth. I like that you use Fae magic to protect people...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>...I like that your skin is so soft.” Galo’s voice had grown quieter. “It’s like silk. Smoother.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo stopped because Lio stopped, but he was too caught up in his thoughts at this point to process it. He was studying Lio’s form hovering in front of him. “I like that your body is extra warm. I like that you’re small. You fit so perfectly… and your waist is just…” Galo held up his hands, wanting to touch but knowing he shouldn’t. He looked higher and saw that intoxicating flush on ears now completely exposed. “Your ears,” he breathed. “Your ears are…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Sexy?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Can't say that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Distracting?</span>
  </em>
  <span> True but not what he should say.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Making me think of doing very intimate things to the rest of you?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Uhm...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You hate my ears!” Lio spun around now, red-faced but giving him a look of triumph as if catching him in a lie. Daring him to contradict it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Attractive.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio’s eyes widened as he stared into Galo’s. Like he was reading something he couldn’t believe. His ears became red as cherries.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So hot. And cute.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo took a deep breath and stepped closer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then a kind of veil fell over Lio's eyes, which had been so open the instant before. And suddenly the rose scent that had been such a pleasant complement to the day all but disappeared. Galo stopped, surprised. Lio watched him carefully, and seemed satisfied by his reaction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hopefully that will help," was all he said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio reached up and pulled his hair free again to drape over his ears as he turned and began down the path.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What in the world does that mean?” Galo frowned as he followed. Lio didn’t reply. Did he not want Galo to find him attractive? Did he honestly think hiding his ears and aroma would accomplish that? Because Galo had news for Lio.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo pursed his lips and thought. How could he persuade Lio of the sincerity of his change of heart for all things Fae?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I actually remember wanting to go to Faerieland once myself,” Galo realized aloud.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio threw him a look over his shoulder, brows raised.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My mom told me this old family Faerie tale, of a party that went on for 13 days, and everyone dressed up in clothes made from moonbeams and they all wore masks and you had to guess who was who--I thought that sounded fun--and the food was always the perfect temperature and tasted better than anything on Earth only it didn’t taste the same as what it looked like so everything was a delicious surprise. And the whole ceiling was made of fire and crystals, and the walls were mirrors, and everyone danced and never got tired, and everyone got a present to open everyday…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, that was a wedding,” Lio explained, drifting back a step to hover alongside Galo again. Galo tried not to look too pleased. “Fae parties are as elaborate as you've heard, and weddings are a step above. The gifts can be hit or miss, though.” The wry touch in Lio’s voice implied some entertaining stories there. His eye colors began to mingle again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Galo was a bit distracted. A Fae wedding. His heart beat a little faster at the idea of such a thing in his own future. He glanced side-eyed at Lio, feeling a little shy. “I'd like to experience one…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you want to go to a proper one, you’d have to go through the portal. Not sure if a Fae party is worth destroying the world,” Lio elbowed him gently in good humor. But Galo was encouraged that he didn’t seem to mind the wedding topic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then Lio was grabbing his arm and Galo felt the swirly feeling as the invisibility spell set in. Six Freeze Force soldiers ran around the corner in front of them, heading towards the now-hidden Albiorix. They must have realized it was taken back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo slipped his arm around Lio as usual and watched another set of enemies unknowingly fall to the Goblin King. Galo’s mind was still on their conversation, though, and his brow creased with another thought as they waited in silence for the squad to pass out of sight</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio had stayed on Earth. He was separated from half his people. Did he miss the Fae life? And why, if the Labyrinth was manipulated to sever their worlds as Lio claimed, was marriage a condition of winning? Wasn’t that more of a connection? Maybe it was designed to incentivize Lio not to lose. And to bind any human who would try to access their world to Lio--if he let them in, they were his problem. Permanently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ah. A fate worse than death. That </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> quite cruel, to turn something that should be a happy choice into a forced condition.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo considered the Fae King beside him as the soldiers passed out of view. Apparently it was something both peoples had in common: being royal meant your personal life wasn’t your own. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo sighed, frustrated on Lio’s behalf. “Even if it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> safe to open the portal, I can understand why you wouldn't want to lose. Doesn't seem very fair, what it requires from you…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio turned in Galo’s arm to fully face him, paling. After a few beats, he spoke.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know what happens when someone wins.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo nodded in grim commiseration. Lio slipped out of his arm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How did you find out?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The red dragon mentioned it. Your General. He was really upset that I was winning.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gueira…” the King growled. Then he sighed at Galo. “I guess it’s good you know.” Galo damn well thought so. It was usually good to know if you were </span>
  <em>
    <span>getting married</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “It’s not common knowledge. Don’t tell anyone else.” Lio crossed his arms, frowning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo could understand why he would want to keep it a secret. He could only imagine the hordes of people who would want to challenge the Labyrinth if they were aware of the true treasure to be gained. Galo had </span>
  <em>
    <span>zero</span>
  </em>
  <span> plans to tell anyone else and tempt that fate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t be too hard on Gueira,” Galo smiled and tried to ease the tension, secretly incredibly grateful to the Burnish General for cluing him in. “They really were upset on your behalf. They seem really protective.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio rolled his eyes. “Actions to the contrary. What a blabbermouth…” Lio turned down the path again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo grinned as he fell in step, imagining their ‘family’ as the Generals had described it. “They seemed really attached to each other, too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ugh, they act tough, but Meis and Gueira are the </span>
  <em>
    <span>worst</span>
  </em>
  <span> saps alive,” Lio instantly became animated, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “You should have seen </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> wedding. Don’t even get me started on the honeymoon period. Nauseating.” Lio’s eyes finally lit with their happy light again, fully blended, so Galo knew his complaint was all smoke.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked so affectionate when he talked about them. Was so happy they were happy. Galo’s heart sped up. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s so adorable</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> ever thought about it?” Galo poked his index fingers together, not quite meeting Lio’s eyes. “I mean, </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanting</span>
  </em>
  <span> to get married?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He couldn’t help it!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The question slipped out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was a game contestant asking for a hint, because the prize just kept getting more and more appealing and he was dying to know how to win it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With every passing hour, no matter what they were doing, it was obvious they fit together. Freeing a town? Lio took care of everyone and Galo took care of everyone plus Lio. Traveling through the Labyrinth? They really liked each other’s company and time flew by. They’d even turned hunting Freeze Force goons into a game. Taking on the challenges? They barely had to look at each other before they mutually decided whether it would be more fun to team up or compete through each puzzle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn't know if the games he’d previously avoided had always been that exciting or if it was just because he was doing them with Lio. He couldn’t stop grinning. Which meant Lio was winning all the points in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>real </span>
  </em>
  <span>game, while he hadn’t even gotten one! Just one smile would have lasted him all day!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Each minute of Lio’s unexpressed happiness tied Galo’s heart further into a knot. How could those eyes hold such a smile, glow with laughter, without ever releasing them?? Of all the things driving him crazy about Lio, this restrained mirth was the worst.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted</span>
  </em>
  <span> it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew exactly what he was playing for now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Clearly step one in romancing Lio was unlocking that smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But he had been trying and nothing worked yet! He needed a hint!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Soooo he jumped straight to matrimony.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Have you ever thought about marriage?!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Smooth, Thymos. Very smooth.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course Lio gave him a strange look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Galo realized he had asked a very dangerous question. He DEFINITELY didn’t want to think about any past scenarios where Lio may have been serious enough about someone to consider marriage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh hell. What if… what if Lio had some kind of unrequited past love!? What if that’s why he looked so sad and alone?!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Such a wave of outrage washed over Galo that he stood stock still, jaw dropped. Whoever it was was an IDIOT! Wha- anyone that dumb definitely didn’t deserve Lio--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No, wait, why would anyone ever turn </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lio</span>
  </em>
  <span> down?? That made no sense. Much more likely that he had…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A SECRET ROMANCE!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo pressed his hands to his cheeks in horror, instantly picturing it. What if Lio was actually still attached?! Maybe he had a forbidden lover on the other side of the portal! He certainly seemed to know how to kiss! Galo’s whole chest roared with fire at the thought of someone else claiming the champions spot in Lio’s affections. Getting to stay beside him, getting to </span>
  <em>
    <span>touch</span>
  </em>
  <span> him--Galo choked as his mind conjured the image of someone else’s lips drawing along those lovely, flaming ears. No!! What if Lio had a probably-impossibly-hot Fae lover on the other side, and if the portal was reopened, they’d elope and he’d be gone forever--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Marriage isn’t for me.” Lio said in a wary tone, watching Galo like he was crazy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took a moment for Lio’s words to break through Galo’s internal teary panic. Then his heart slowly calmed down. But then it dropped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, right, even without any </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely-imaginary-please</span>
  </em>
  <span> alternative romances, getting married for Lio would mean he had </span>
  <em>
    <span>lost</span>
  </em>
  <span>, would have to surrender himself and his home to some stupid human champion who didn’t have a clue. Lio would literally be stuck in a situation without a choice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course he wouldn’t want to get hitched like that. Galo was back at square one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because of the Labyrinth?” Galo asked just to make sure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio grimaced and nodded. "It's all tied in with my birth fate."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Birth fate?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio sighed with a hint of disgust. “A prophecy. Every Fae birth of a certain… status--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Royalty</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Galo thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“--is celebrated with 13 gifts from members of the Court. One of which is always a prophecy. Given at the child’s beginning, the foretelling is always stronger, always comes true. Mine was even 13 words long, extra powerful, so…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shrugged and looked more hopeless and miserable than Galo had ever seen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What about the thing you mentioned? That’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>stronger</span>
  </em>
  <span> than Fae magic? That means it's stronger than a prophecy, right?” Galo clapped a hand to his chest. “I’ll help you find it! You don't have to give in without fighting!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The look Lio gave him was full of such despairing laughter. Galo never wanted to hear what it sounded like. "Even my prophecy is a mocking tragic irony."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What is it?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio narrowed his eyes. "You don't ask a Fae that. It's… rude."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why?? It’s not like I’m asking how old you are or something!” Galo blinked, paused. “How old </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio looked at him in disbelief. Then planted his hands on his hips and hovered a few feet in front of Galo, making sure he was a couple inches higher so he was looking down. “Older than you. Wiser, </span>
  <em>
    <span>obviously</span>
  </em>
  <span>. More skilled.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo couldn’t help it. He stepped closer. “Skilled how?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio raised a brow at Galo’s suggestive tone and smirk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A hint of extra heat caught in Lio’s eyes as he traced a glance quickly up and down Galo. “In every way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds like a challenge.” Galo stepped close enough to absorb Lio's body heat and reflect it back. Whatever was in Lio’s past to make him so </span>
  <em>
    <span>skilled</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Galo wanted to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>better</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The smile in Lio’s eyes became delicious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmmm. Well considering you haven't finished the challenge you're already on, I think you may be getting ahead of yourself in considering another. Especially when you need more…” Lio’s face grew even closer. “...Experience.” Lio eye-smirked as he darted away and Galo took a few stumbling steps forward before he even realized he was moving.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m a fast learner,” Galo promised eagerly, trotting after him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll see,” Lio hummed without turning around, lacing his fingers together behind his back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yup. First challenge first. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to win the Labyrinth or he would lose his damn mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Knowing that it would not only let him keep his memories of Lio, but Lio himself, well. That was a no-brainer on his end. The thought left him lightheaded and breathless. But he didn’t want Lio to be forced into anything. Being some kind of </span>
  <em>
    <span>prize</span>
  </em>
  <span> would enrage any rational person, let alone someone as fiercely independent and passionate as the Goblin King. And it just wasn’t right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So the </span>
  <em>
    <span>real</span>
  </em>
  <span> challenge was not solving the Labyrinth. There was only one happy ending Galo could see for both of them in this situation. Turn the reward at the end of the Labyrinth into a prize Lio would want as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yes! He finally figured out the true gameplay. He needed to properly woo the Goblin King. Lio had basically just screamed it at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> a fast learner. Eventually.</span>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Good thing they’d be spending a lot of time together in the next few days. Just sucked that it was all life-or-death-y.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He drew alongside Lio again and smiled at the familiar warmth and the scent of roses that steadily grew stronger with the nearness despite whatever Lio had done earlier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo sighed happily. At least he really liked the company.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*****</p>
<p>Author’s note:</p>
<p>Lio is totally full of not-lying BS here, as usual. Experience, hah. Gee, I wonder if this will come back to bite him in the ass later. XD When Galo gets his hands on some useful instructional material. Heh heh heh…</p>
<p>You finally get to learn what the full prophecy is next chapter. Poor Lio.</p>
<p>The Bog of Eternal Stench is from Labyrinth, and it’s presented as the worst fate in the land XD</p>
<p>Brownies are an old part of Fae lore. I think they may be what house elves in Harry Potter were based on?</p>
<p>Anywho, more funtimes ahead. Lio needs some extra hugs next chapter. Fortunately, Galo is there. :) It’s all ready to go, so I’m planning to post it tomorrow.</p>
<p>Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences as we go, I’m always so delighted to hear them. :D</p>
<p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/akadoreengreene">@akadoreengreene</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Place the Moon Within Your Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Lio's fun ends too soon and he lights the moon.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The music for this chapter is one of my favorite Lindsey Stirling songs, and I think perfectly matches the moon lighting! Play it at that part of the chapter for extra atmosphere. ;) Enjoy!</p>
<p>
  <a href="https://youtu.be/02t4KKLnLQ0">Between Twilight</a>
</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lio’s heart had been racing all day. But for the first time, it became an unpleasant sensation. More like fear than excitement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This whole time with Galo, Lio had been too distracted by the light in front of him to notice an overhead shadow looming immediately around him, swallowing his own, warning of the crushing disaster gravity was inevitably bringing. The spreading shade eerily speaking to the speed of the approaching collision from above. In looking down, he suddenly noticed what was up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The contradiction of their conversation was that swiftly expanding dark signal. Talking about marriage (hilarious) while getting closer to Galo (precarious) even as Lio was reminded of his prophecy (nefarious). The reminder of the Labyrinth’s cost and all it was tied to was like a slap to the face. It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid </span>
  </em>
  <span>to get so close to the light that you forgot the warning shadows. Lio was being a reckless fool. Because Galo’s presence was too effective at making him forget himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio scowled. It </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> Galo’s fault for being so ANNOYING...ly appealing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio flicked his gaze to Galo without turning his head. Covertly studied him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>See?!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What was Lio supposed to do when that idiot kept smiling as sweet and hot as chocolate? It made him want to steal a taste straight off those smug lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And his eyes were like the sunniest sky, it was impossible to look at something that pretty without daydreams trying to distract. He couldn’t keep his guard up when Galo was so open, when he laughed so easily, when he loved on every person and creature he came across. It was like shielding against air.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then, like… those shoulders-- arms-- chest, </span>
  <em>
    <span>damn it</span>
  </em>
  <span>, all of it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>unreasonable</span>
  </em>
  <span>… he knew what all that firm muscle and fine form </span>
  <em>
    <span>felt like</span>
  </em>
  <span> now and there was </span>
  <em>
    <span>no going back</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Let that be a warning, no more touching because it just made him want more. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Crave</span>
  </em>
  <span> more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And that trim little waist had no business flaring out just the most provocative bit before it disappeared and mere </span>
  <em>
    <span>cloth</span>
  </em>
  <span> got to grab the tight, round dessert to end all meals.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo almost caught him looking, so Lio sped up the littlest bit to keep temptation out of sight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But not out of mind. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Damn it</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And what the hell… what the HELL was Galo playing at saying all those… all those things about Lio. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Attractive</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The cognitive dissonance crashed with a jarring clang through his mind. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> Galo </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span>-- but his eyes had said that it was the Truth. This Aromata thing was clearly causing contradictions in Galo’s character.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio had no idea what to do with this bundle of conflicting feelings, the strange, forbidden game and its mysterious promise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But it was unforgivable to play so blindly. Being all giddy about the unknowns of winning when what he was good at, what he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>destined</span>
  </em>
  <span> for, was losing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He needed to remember the implacable truth of his life.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You will break the home you build, through love you will lose all.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He recited his prophecy in his mind on repeat, trying to erase the bad ideas that being around Galo put in his head… and heart. He slipped back to an old nervous habit of his childhood, trying to find other meanings than the obvious one. Trying to find some small gap in the words that would allow for hope. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But he agreed with the rest of the Fae Court that there seemed to be one clear, bleak foretelling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone had always treated it as Truth. And he couldn’t blame them. It was right there in the words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But he’d been born a fighter and his life had done nothing but hone him in this quality.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So Lio had decided that since he couldn’t have a family or a home, he’d find a way to give those things to others who didn’t have them, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It was the next best thing. His own way of rebelling against fate, claiming agency even if it wasn’t for himself. He understood their suffering, and could do something about it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But that had been stupid. Ultimately he couldn’t help but love these people. It was something he had admitted to himself long ago. And in those terrifying moments when Kray’s Freeze Force attacked, in one move taking all the Burnish he had gathered together, Lio had been certain it was the moment the prophecy spoke of. Because he cared and gathered them here, all of them would be lost.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The remorse had cut into him deeper than the iron.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their demise was still a dangerous possibility. But turns out there was an even bigger picture. Learning about the inevitable destructiveness of the Promare, the hazard of his realm as a potential portal bomb, shed a horrible new light. And he didn’t think it was any coincidence that a Labyrinth challenger Compatible with him just happened to show up at the same time. All the threads of fate were coming together like a noose, terrifyingly grasped in Kray Foresight’s hands, and if he didn’t find a way to </span>
  <em>
    <span>do something</span>
  </em>
  <span>, everything he stupidly, irresponsibly grew attached to would be destroyed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Part of him knew it was impossible to resist the inevitable, but an equally strong part would fight those puppet strings until his last breath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Speaking of puppets, Lio cursed as he realized his intense inner thoughts had distracted him from his magical surveillance. He barely had a moment to plant a hand on Galo’s chest and throw up a hasty invisibility shield before Captain Vulcan and 10 of his inner guard stormed into view, striding like the arrogant conquerors they were down an intersecting pathway. Lio tried not to let his searing anger at the sight of the commander turn into physical heat that would give them away. He felt Galo place a comforting hand on his back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t understand why Kray is so upset by these Burnish scum huddling in their little village hideyholes,” one of the guards loudly complained. “It’s not like they’ve escaped.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vulcan turned on him with a snarl, lifting the foolish soldier by his throat. “It is our </span>
  <em>
    <span>job</span>
  </em>
  <span> to ensure these vermin are fully subdued! Did they seem subdued yesterday when we tried to locate and storm the outer settlements?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, sir,” the choking man wheezed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Were we able to take back the lost territories?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, sir!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then we are losing!” Vulcan yelled and threw the guard angrily against the wall. “You idiots,” he turned to his unit, “saw what happens when these terrorists are aware and on guard. They can shut us out--and worse! Governor Kray knows the threat they pose.” Vulcan prowled up and down in front of them, looking for a target. “If too many Burnish are awakened and join together, they could overpower us completely!” He shoved two of the guards to the ground at once and stood over them. “The only reason we had the advantage to defeat them in the first place was because we took them by surprise. Their stupid King never militarized most of them, but if they unite against us, they can do exactly what we saw them do yesterday! Take back this whole damn place! And who do you think I’ll let them burn first?” Vulcan grinned menacingly at the blank-faced soldiers. Then he turned and began marching down the path again, his squad hurrying to lock formation and follow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio frowned as he realized this key unit was not heading back to the saved towns… but in the same direction he and Galo would be going to reach the next settlement. Feeling Galo’s steady touch on his back, Lio let go and drew his bow and arrows. Made quick work of tagging the soldiers. Then he reached for Galo again to reinforce the spell contact until the group turned a corner and passed from sight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vulcan’s obnoxious voice drifted back to them. “Fortunately for you muscleheads, we have a plan. Strike at the heart and capture the King!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah,” Lio murmured. He had figured they’d take a proactive approach sooner or later. Time for the big spells.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still, he felt deeply satisfied with this proof of success. His plan was working! If he kept freeing the Burnish like this, they wouldn’t fall! The Labyrinth was </span>
  <em>
    <span>their</span>
  </em>
  <span> home. If he continued to tie it to their fire rather than his, they wouldn’t be tied to his fate. They could defend their homes, they wouldn’t have to lose all with him. The first part of a solution to the disaster of Parnassus, his prophecy, and the Promare portal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And another piece of the solution was right here beside him. His one chance to make sure if he was going to lose, he would use it to end things. Without taking everyone else down with him. He turned to Galo only to find him staring down in a daze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Galo?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo stared at the warm, fine fingers splayed across his chest, their pressure pushing against the heart that was pushing back as if it wanted to join them outside his ribcage. His ears filled with its sound as he pictured clasping both hands like this to his chest, letting them feel the warmth they filled him with, letting them wander his hypersensitive skin even as he sought an invitation to return the touch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The roses had never smelled so fresh and sweet, like a new bouquet condensed to warmed incense.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“-lo? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Galo</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He faintly registered that Lio was speaking to him verbally, but it was the </span>
  <em>
    <span>physical</span>
  </em>
  <span> language that had captivated him. He slid a palm he had thought was normal over the thinly gloved hand still pressed to him, and marveled at how large his looked in comparison, how completely he was able to cover the slender lines and graceful strength beneath his own blunt instrument. Hold the fine treasure inescapably close to the heart that was trying to sing back to it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An unsteady gasp finally made him look up from twining fingers. Lio’s wide eyes stared at their joined hands then darted up to connect with his gaze. Galo watched in fascination as color started across the smooth height of pale cheeks and then flooded swiftly outward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah!” The small King yanked his hand back and grasped it in his other one, staring as if it had betrayed him. “See, this is what happens once it knows what things feel like--” he glared at Galo, “--</span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> fault--I mean--I was just keeping the spell steady!” Lio blurted out in baffling, uncharacteristic discomposure, then spun around. Leaving Galo to watch the redness spread to tapered ear tips and wrap around that elegant neck, revealed only in tantalizing shifts between floating hair and high collar.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sight tugged Galo in stronger.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The roses were so bold, they expanded beyond his sense of smell. He could almost see them appear in the air around the stunning Fae monarch in front of him as he spun back to face him, looking resolute despite his flushed face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I need your help.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio paused. Then his eyes laughed softly. “Galo, you really </span>
  <em>
    <span>shouldn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> offer that to a Fae, it’s a binding promise.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo crossed his arms. “Anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A wisp of wistfulness drifted across Lio’s face as he considered Galo. Then he shook his head and got his serious, inwardly thoughtful look, a finger crooked in front of his chin. Just like every other expression, it was adorable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I need to activate the Parnassus moon,” Lio explained. “I can use it to sustain a strong enough veil to cover the rest of the settlements until we can get to them and make sure they can defend themselves.” His gaze became earnest as he drifted a foot closer. “We need to protect the exposed Burnish. Or Kray will use them against me. Each town ahead will become a trap.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you strong enough?” When Lio began to bristle, Galo hurried to elaborate. “I mean, even though you used so much of your fire to free all the other towns?” Galo crooked a thumb over his shoulder in the direction they’d come from. Lio definitely seemed like the type of person who pushed themselves past their limits without much thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio shrugged, which did not reassure Galo at all. “It’ll probably knock me out for half a day. Which is why I need your help. I can make sure we’re both invisible, but I’ll need you to…” Lio paused as though the next words were a dreadfully difficult concept to speak about. Then he straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin. “I need you to protect me. Until I wake up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo straightened. Then grinned. Lio balked at his expression, but Galo stepped forward enthusiastically clasping Lio’s hand. “You can rely on me!” Then his smile softened. “I’ll make sure you can rest.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio pressed his lips together as his color heightened again. “Okay,” his tone lacked its usual conviction. “Great. Then I just need to…” Lio hovered a little closer staring at Galo’s face, then froze. His eyes widened and filled with inward conflict. “Uh…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo tugged his hand, pulling him even closer. “You need to what?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s… just a transfer of fire. Like usual. Normal.” Lio murmured, and Galo had the distinct impression that Lio wasn’t talking to </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then Lio lunged forward across the distance between them and his lips closed over Galo’s.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The whole world spun around Galo as Lio filled him with fire. Only a fraction of the burn was from the magical flames now flowing into Galo’s body, radiating with life and </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lio</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Lio kept the touch of his lips steady and utilitarian, and Galo was too overwhelmed at first to do anything but revel in the basic contact. Soft. Warm. Electric. His legs turned to noodles. Just as he got over the shock and began to press forward, Lio broke the contact and shot six feet away, lifting a hand in front of his mouth. Galo stared at him, feeling like he was literally still burning, and Lio just stared back, so red it looked like he was, too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then Lio shimmered and suddenly there was a beautiful, tiny dragon where he had been hovering.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo gaped, but before he could properly freak out, Lio’s voice rang through his mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>IN ADDITION TO KEEPING THE INVISIBILITY SPELL ATTACHED TO YOU--</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“AHHHHHHHH!!” Galo yelled, clenching his eyes shut and clutching his head. It was so loud it felt like his skull would split open.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the silence that followed, Galo opened his teary eyes to see the small pink dragon hovering two feet in front of his face, one delicate forefoot raised in a common gesture of concern.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m sorry</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lio?” Galo winced around the fading ache in his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Yes. We… we seem to have a really… clear connection. I usually need to be louder for someone to hear me.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo rubbed the side of his head one last time and dropped his arm. “This sounds okay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Good. Uh, as I was saying, while the fire in you lasts, it not only holds the invisibility spell, but also allows for this communication connec-- are you paying attention??</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio’s voice had gotten annoyed, but Galo barely noticed because--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re SO CUTE!!” Galo grabbed him from the air and cuddled the small figure to his face. The flame-formed body was warm and surprisingly pliant and Galo felt happy down to his toes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dragon-Lio whacked at his face with both claw-retracted forefeet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Let go, idiot, it’s still </span>
  </em>
  <span>me</span>
  <em>
    <span>!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sounded scandalized.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo paused and held Lio away from his face. Then glomped him back into his arms, rubbing a cheek against his tiny forehead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“SO CUTE!!” Galo almost felt like crying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then his arms were tragically empty of everything but a few traces of smoke, and Dragon-Lio was safely out of arm’s distance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t call me cute!! I’m just small right now because it’s discreet!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The dragon’s pointed ears had gone from pink to red. His little body was scrunched up like a furious cat’s.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>So cute!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I heard that.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo could only give him a wobbly smile and googly eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Stay here.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Apparently draconian faces were capable of looking deadpan and mind voices could huff indignantly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>And keep your eyes on the sky. I’m going to make sure Kray can’t miss my next play.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In a twinkle of light and a wisp of smoke, the dragon shot upwards into the darkening sky and disappeared.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a little while nothing happened. It was that moment when night settled on the Labyrinth, and though inky shadows once more claimed the passageway ahead, Galo realized it wasn’t as deep as previous nights. There was a glow… oh, it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He looked down and realized he now had his own sort of Burnish glow, that color somewhere between blue and green and white that he now associated with protection and healing. It matched the feeling that continued to drift through him, warm and steadily waving in currents like a candle flame. Lio’s presence while he was away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then he began to glow brighter. And the settlements behind him went from softly shining afterglow to brilliant neon gleams, the color and light pooling until they almost looked solid. It was mirrored by a light from above, and Galo gasped when he quickly looked skyward again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The orb in the sky that had been black with the night now burst with bright colors, pinks and teals and oranges and blues and purples and golds. Gone were the deep shadows across the land, the Parnassus moon painted the corridors of the Labyrinth with ever changing variations of colored light.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mesmerized, Galo activated his Matoi and hovered up to stand on top of the wall for the best view possible of the spectacle across the Labyrinth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The colored lights swirled, coalesced, then shot out from the crystalline sphere above. In racing waves that reminded Galo of the aurora borealis, they condensed and traveled out across the sky, winding their way down and dancing along the tops of the Labyrinth walls. Where they met the light pooling over the freed towns, they shot upward like fireworks to rejoin with the moon, so bright they left spots across Galo’s vision. Streams of light waves also condensed in several areas ahead, where Galo could see the rooftops of towns, as well as Goblin City itself. The sheets of light shone with almost blinding brightness, then shot skyward in blazing columns that reached the giant crystal in the sky. The light beams connecting towns to moon solidified into the brilliant, opaque Fae fire flares Galo was used to seeing Aboveground and all at once exploded, sending a shockwave through the whole realm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Galo opened his eyes again, the moon shone with a soft, steady light that perfectly matched his own glow. The towns behind were rainbows of nightlife once more, and the ones ahead were covered in domes of teal-white. Intense twinkles of color drifted down everywhere, the embers slowly falling like snow. Galo stood in open-mouthed wonder as the galaxy of sparks surrounded him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stuck out his tongue and caught one. It snapped like poprocks. Laughing, he caught more, running precariously along the top of the wall, enjoying the painless sizzle as they brushed against his cheeks and landed in his hair, sparkling with extra bursts of color before they joined the fire layer still shining from within him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He reached a courtyard and hopped down, feeling like he’d just stepped off a rollercoaster and needed to catch his elated breath. He laughed. He couldn’t imagine a bolder way to tell your enemy that you were taking back what was yours.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo stilled and stared up at the continuing light shower. He never would have thought a declaration of war could be so wonderful. Lio, the brilliant contradiction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As if summoned by the thought, Galo noticed a slightly larger ember falling his way. Rather than floating like the others, this one maintained a steady course, flickering as it dropped from the sky. Instinctively he set his Matoi down and reached up his hands. He caught the small dragon, letting the swing of his own body slow the momentum until he cradled the warm form in his arms. Dragon-Lio lay there for a moment, eyes closed, unmoving but for his rapid breathing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>That should be enough.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Lio’s voice murmured in his head, weary but satisfied. Before Galo could react, the dragon twisted and fell from his arms, landing on all fours. He began slowly walking towards a corner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Save your strength,” Galo commanded as he scooped the almost-limp figure back into his arm, grabbed his Matoi, and marched over to the corner. He sat down, deposited the Matoi a safe distance away, and leaned against the wall, adjusting Lio into what he hoped was a more comfortable position against his chest. “Rest.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio slowly lifted his head and stared at Galo, who did his best to look stern despite all the soft feelings taking him over. Dragon-Lio gave a single huff, then he and Galo both glowed brighter for a moment. Galo took in a quick breath as the ground beneath him shifted and softened. Looking down in surprise, he realized Lio had summoned a mound of velvety moss for him to lay on. Then the little dragon’s head dropped to his shoulder and he stilled, tiny feet curling slightly inward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I said save your strength,” Galo sulked in a tight voice as he stretched out on the ridiculously comfortable bed, carefully cushioning movements that may have disturbed Lio. He settled. Lio didn’t respond, so Galo assumed he was fast asleep, until foreign thoughts brushed his again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Did you see?</span>
  </em>
  <span> The mind voice was whisper-quiet and slurred. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s not a party, but Faerie lights are pretty famous, too.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo’s throat stung. “They’re beautiful,” he murmured, staring up at the infinite points of light above.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m glad you like them</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A silent persistent vibration began to emanate from Lio where he lay against Galo’s chest, right under his chin, the soft rumbling filling his lungs and soothing through muscles. It made the sting in his throat worse, though.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tears quietly trickled down, blurring and mixing the colors of the Faerie lights.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Mom, Dad, I wonder what would you tell me to do now? I spent my whole life blindly despising something wonderful. Something beautiful. Someone precious. Can loving them now make up for all that? Sometimes I don’t even know the old ugly things are there before they come out. But… I’m so grateful I have this chance. To see all the extraordinary things. To meet the Burnish. To know how amazing the Fae stuff really is. How amazing </span>
  </em>
  <span>he</span>
  <em>
    <span> is.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll do better! I want to protect it all. There’s a lot at stake. And I want to help everyone.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Especially Lio...</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t remember finishing his thoughts or falling asleep, but when he next realized he was awake, there were fewer sparks in the sky and more coating the ground, slowly fading. The moon still shone brightly. The purring had stopped. Before he could feel alarm, he realized it was because the form resting against his chest was now distinctly Fae-human. And it was wrapped around him, cuddling like he was a giant pillow. Galo drew his own arms tight around Lio and let the warm weight carry him to sleep again.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>******</p>
<p>Hmmm, Galo’s getting better at seeing Lio and seeing through Lio, so to speak. And just when Lio’s realizing it’s dangerous. It gets even more intense next chapter, sorry, Lio. You fallin’ for this boy. It’s a nice landing I promise. ;) Just keep on flirting, you know you can’t help it.</p>
<p>I loved imagining the moon lighting. There’s lots of lunar accents to the Labyrinth and Goblin King, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.</p>
<p>Also, I just checked out the official music video for Between Twilight when I was posting this chapter, and it’s so perfect! Faerie themes with faerie lights galore! XD Here’s a link: <a>Between Twilight music video</a></p>
<p>I’m excited for the next chapter. And the ones after. It just gets consistently more intense (in a good way) from here on out.</p>
<p>Twitter: <a>@akadoreengreene</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Though I Do Believe in You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which neither wants to break their bond and so they both do. Galo finally accomplishes stage 1 wooing. And Lio resists help so hard, he ends up needing it.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yoooooo, check out these cute Promarinth sketches by <a>@ShioriAkaitsuki</a>!!<br/>https://twitter.com/ShioriAkaitsuki/status/1310189418200866816<br/>https://twitter.com/ShioriAkaitsuki/status/1304882906142330881</p><p>I love them!</p><p>Huge thanks as always to Quetz and Aura for being such encouraging beta readers. &lt;3 You guys are fire!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lio was getting annoyed.</p><p>He had actually woken up in a surprisingly good mood, despite feeling somewhat… wilted, physically. Words, kind and caring and fantastical, had drifted through his vague dreams, in a voice that seemed to shed enough light to keep anything dark at bay for the entire duration. Someone had guarded his sleeping mind, so consciousness arrived with a gentle peace. A cozy warmth radiated through his body from a reassuring form supporting his, holding him snuggly. As soon as he questioned the presence, he already knew. It was Galo. There was a comfortable current of fire ebbing and flowing between them, though Lio could sense it slowly slipping away from Galo as time passed. Galo’s own will mixed with the fire and Lio realized that was where much of the deep comfort was coming from. Lio didn’t even question that he was being protected.</p><p>And my goodness, his hands were happy, pressed to heated muscle. Actually, all of him. It was all around him, pairing perfectly with the comfort of their mixed fire. He shifted slightly just to feel it more completely.</p><p>“Good morning,” a caressing voice rumbled its song through him. He sighed in bliss.</p><p><em> Heaven </em>.</p><p>But as soon as he opened his eyes, he was brought back down to earth.</p><p>Well, heaven continued for a moment, in the form of stunning clear-sky eyes. But then he noticed the light in them was not carefree. In fact, mixed with the tender gentleness that made Lio feel weightless, was worry.</p><p>And no wonder. It <em> wasn’t </em> morning.</p><p>A glance at the sky showed it was well after noon, and he instantly felt the loss of time his sleep had cost them. Alarm spiked through him as he remembered <em> Burnish, curse, Kray </em>. But Galo’s first words, as Lio pulled himself as quickly as he could out of warm arms and into a sluggish hover, were an irritating and clearly contradictory suggestion that Lio rest longer. He ignored it, trying not to panic as recollections about their situation crashed in and called the earlier comfort an indulgent lie. Just like his behavior yesterday.</p><p>He could feel that overhead shadow growing larger. Darker.</p><p>As Lio immediately hurried them towards the next town, the arguing started. Lio tried to demand Galo stay silent for safety’s sake, but the stubborn man effortlessly switched to their magical mind connection and redoubled his challenge. Every very reasonable responding explanation Lio gave for why they should hurry on was met with resistance.</p><p>Lio pointed out that Kray was obviously taking this time to work up major spells that would undo their progress and put a strain on the Burnish trying to defend their homes. Galo pushed back that that was all the more reason for Lio to recover more strength before dispensing it to the next settlements. It didn’t help matters when Lio admitted that the next two, Neso and Psamathe, were less than a couple miles apart and would essentially be a doubleheader. Galo had the gall to suggest he <em> carry </em> Lio, so he could sleep along the way. Lio bluntly stated he’d rather die than show up in front of his people like that. Besides, he needed to keep tagging Freeze Force reprobates (there were even more of them rushing about now), he couldn’t afford to sleep the day away as Kray continued to move his pieces on the board. Galo had the nerve to suggest Lio didn’t make the most cool-headed decisions when he was stressed, angry, and tired.</p><p>By the time they had gotten to Neso, they had devolved into a stony silence that felt as unnatural between them as fire inside ice.</p><p>And approaching a stricken town always brought a tension of its own for Lio. He braced himself for the wave of guilt and grief and fury that always came with seeing his people in that state. The truth was, he had grown more and more grateful for Galo's presence the past few days as they rescued the Burnish. It was so easy to rely on him to take care of the awakened, to feel like it was a real division of labor, to not be alone in this difficult task. He trusted Galo with his people. Even now, he couldn’t help instinctively reaching out across their fire bond for the reassurance of his presence.</p><p>But Lio had noticed something yesterday. Galo actively avoided him as soon as they got to the towns and began the work. He seemed to intentionally focus in the opposite direction, almost never spoke to Lio, and didn't look at him when he did. He was still boldly friendly and energetic to the Burnish, but Lio seemed to cease to exist. Lio had concluded Galo was just trying not to distract him, because Galo was his usual overbearing self to Lio once he finished the work and the Burnish were fully awakened. So Lio had found the consideration endearing.</p><p>This time was different. Galo managed to <em> hover </em> over Lio, and an agitation built up between them as the hour went by. He kept finding ways to stall Lio, and send on the activated Mad Burnish to awaken their fellow citizens ahead of him, requiring Lio to pause and back track. Lio figured he’d directly awakened a third fewer people in this town than previous ones, and it took longer. And while Galo did it all with a smile for the Burnish, he watched with something dissatisfied smouldering in his eyes each time Lio did his work.</p><p>Lio didn’t know why Galo was being so… <em> judgmental </em> again. He could feel that critical gaze everytime he locked lips with one of his people. Feel the impatient irritation through their shared fire.</p><p>He finally got to the last slumbering group, and as he held the first person, took a deep breath, and gathered his last reserves of energy, he could practically hear Galo growl.</p><p><em> What </em>?! He mentally barked at Galo.</p><p><em> You’re giving them too much </em>. Galo’s voice was positively sulky. </p><p><em> I know how to use my own fire </em>! Lio mentally snapped.</p><p>Galo didn’t reply, but Lio could feel a resentful heat radiating from him the whole rest of the time.</p><p>Immediately after Lio woke the last Burnish, Galo grabbed his wrist and pulled him down an alley out of sight. Lio didn’t immediately resist because he was drained. His angry resolve had grown fuzzy around the edges. But as firm, calloused fingers slipped along his jawline and tempting lips grew closer, everything quickly came into focus. Lio gasped and put halting fingertips against Galo’s chin. He raised questioning eyes. Galo’s voice spoke through their connection as a thumb ran along Lio’s cheek.</p><p><em> You gave your fire to everyone. Even me. But I’m not even using it. I don’t need it. You do </em>.</p><p>Lio knew the fire in Galo was fading, wouldn’t last the day, but the idea of wilfully breaking the last of the bond between them made Lio feel desolate. And he was already running on empty. </p><p><em> I don’t want yours back </em>.</p><p>Lio pulled back a foot, refusing to engage in the transfer. Galo glared at him. His eyes flickered between Lio’s eyes and his lips. Lio didn’t understand why a kind of hurt seemed to slip into Galo’s gaze. And a stubborn tone filled his mind-voice.</p><p><em> Well, </em> I <em> don’t want to keep it </em> . <em> I don’t need it </em>.</p><p>Galo took a step closer, raised a seeking hand again. Lio could even feel Galo instinctively gather the fire inside him, readying the transfer. Eager to be rid of the flames Lio had shared. Hurt lanced through Lio’s heart before he could stop it. <em> Rejected again </em> . All the feelings of comfort and joy and protection Lio had felt through their bond was a <em> lie </em>. Galo didn’t want his fire. </p><p><em> Fine </em>. Lio’s inner voice choked out.</p><p>He couldn’t bear the thought of touching Galo’s lips again, risking that heady, electric, excited feeling that had overwhelmed him the first time. So he simply used his hand to more clumsily pull the remnants out of Galo’s form in one tug, and let the flames dissipate into the air.</p><p>Galo gave a little cry as the fire vanished.</p><p><em> You’re free of me </em>.</p><p>Grief tightened his throat as he realized Galo couldn’t hear him anymore. A terrible look of realization filled Galo’s eyes as well. In tense voices, they spoke aloud at the same time.</p><p>“You’re free of me--”</p><p>“You <em> wasted </em> it--”</p><p>Lio glared as he processed Galo’s words, and they both spoke at the same time again, equally incredulous.</p><p>“<em> Free </em> of you?!”</p><p>“<em> Wasted </em>!?”</p><p>Fury burned in Lio’s throat. Galo thought their fire bond had been a waste. It was just like when Lio had offered his name, something precious, and Galo thought it was worthless. Refused to use it.</p><p>With a final glare, Lio stomped swiftly out of the alley and was halfway to the pizzeria across the square by the time Galo caught up.</p><p>“Why would you think--” Galo began, indignant, before Lio snapped his words short.</p><p>“Because <em> one </em> of us has to.”</p><p>Lio tried not to think about what the sudden silence from Galo meant, refused to look his way.</p><p>The anger and irrational feeling of guilt was so heavy on Lio’s chest, that he ordered their obligatory pizza to go, implying to the owner that they would enjoy a picnic at the courtyard waypoint between the towns. He shoved the boxed pie in Galo’s hands to stem any further stupid ideas about carrying Lio.</p><p>Lio could still feel the tension sizzle between them, so he was perfectly fine with the silence for the first 20 minutes outside of Neso. He wasn’t going to be the first to break it. His throat felt too choked closed anyway.</p><p>Galo finally did, blunt and out of nowhere, the same tired refrain, only this time his voice was rougher. <em> Sadder </em>? “You should rest as much as possible. There are still two more towns ahead before we reach Kray, and you’re drained.”</p><p>“Eight.” Lio matched his bluntness in a flat tone, determined to keep the inner strain from reaching his voice and giving away the hurt he felt. It would only be used against him.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Two more outer settlements and six separate districts in the city.”</p><p>Galo glared as he marched up beside Lio. “Then we should be going slower, how are you planning to do all that??”</p><p>“It’s fine.”</p><p>Galo stubbornly strode in front of Lio and stopped. “<em> How </em>.”</p><p>Lio was a snarling ball inside, but he couldn’t help but stupidly notice that Galo’s glowering pout was... more than a bit cute. <em> Dammit </em>. A trickle of fondness broke through without his permission. “With our burning souls. We’ll find a way,” Lio said with wry, exaggerated conviction, knowing the surplus of determination and lack of planning would appeal to Galo’s gung-ho style.</p><p>Indeed, Galo looked conflicted, like Lio had made a good point. Lio smiled internally at how adorably predictable he was. Then sighed mentally at how <em> hard </em> it was to stay angry and on guard when faced with Galo’s Galo-ness.</p><p>But Lio really didn’t feel like explaining why he didn’t care if he was drained as long as the Burnish were strengthened. They were the ones who would ultimately need to defend their home. And he’d make sure he could pull in enough fire for the mech engine--once they no longer needed to worry about hiding from Kray, he could call on the Wildfaere again if needed. Not the most comfortable option when recovering from burnout, but doable.</p><p>Galo seemed to come to a conclusion. “As long as it’s <em> we </em>,” voice firm, he nodded and started walking again.</p><p>That made Lio feel strangely guilty. He hovered a little more slowly after Galo as an odd realization drifted into his mind. It was a contradiction for Galo to reject his fire and yet insist on the ‘we’. Was he… missing something about Galo’s earlier reactions? And more importantly… their long-term plan… was it going to hurt Galo in some way? Ultimately, there wouldn’t be a ‘we’ at all. But Galo had seemed… not <em> happy </em> about the potential ultimate cost of the Labyrinth, but okay with it. And happy about the idea of winning and ending the threat. Lio shook his head, deciding he was overthinking things. He was certain Galo would do what it took to rescue everyone if it came down to that. He tried to set aside the niggling doubt that something wasn’t fitting right into this picture.</p><p>The halfway point courtyard came into view on the far side of a three dimensional tile and block puzzle. It was a style of game they had particularly enjoyed teaming up on previously, as Galo’s spacial intelligence was thrilling to behold and Lio played off of it very creatively. They always found ways to surprise and delight each other.</p><p>Galo sighed and shrugged his shoulders as if to release their tension. Then he offered Lio a tentative smile.</p><p>“I’m glad you suggested taking a break here. There’s nothing more refreshing than a picnic!”</p><p>“We’re not stopping,” Lio stubbornly clarified, approaching the puzzle and immediately assessing how to activate switches on his side to best change up Galo’s half in unexpected ways. He looked expectantly over at Galo to begin.</p><p>But Galo’s face was red with frustration, and he began yelling. “But you said--”</p><p>“I said it was a nice day for a picnic, not that we’d be having one,” Lio cut him off impatiently and gestured at the puzzle to prompt their start. “I said the truth. You interpreted.”</p><p>Galo glared. Then he shoved the pizza box into Lio’s hands, and in a series of decisive, acrobatic moves, made his way through the puzzle in seconds and landed on the deactivation switch on the far side. He turned back, planted his Matoi, and glared at Lio through the path he’d just cleared.</p><p>A strange, sickening combination of loss and outrage dropped cold and tight in Lio’s chest.</p><p>Galo had played their game on his own.</p><p>Galo had gone on ahead on his own.</p><p>He had excluded Lio.</p><p>He left Lio behind.</p><p>“I see you <em> don’t </em> need me.” The words came out so quietly, Lio didn’t expect Galo to hear them.</p><p>But remorse flicked the anger aside in Galo’s eyes, and he took a step back towards Lio, responding forlornly. “It’s not <em> fun </em> without you.”</p><p>Lio was just here for Galo’s <em> fun </em>...</p><p>Something snapped inside. “Then stop getting in my way!” A kind of weary, frustrated, wounded pride drove Lio in a burst of flight across the space, past Galo, and into the courtyard.</p><p>It really had been a popular picnic spot, with it’s cool grass and convenient clusters of low, flowering trees around a large central fountain. Lio didn’t register its beauty as he spun angrily back around and threw the pizza box on the ground as licks of fire began dancing up his limbs and crackles of lightning flickered in the cloud of hair whipping around his face.</p><p>“I am the Goblin King!” Lio spoke as loudly as he dared, the deep-tones echoing back from the brick walls. He hovered a few inches higher as Galo gaped at him. “A channel of the deepest living fires! Protector of the Burnish!” Galo snapped his mouth shut and straightened his shoulders. He began closing the distance with steady steps and a determined face. Fire growing hotter and darker, white flares arcing back like horns crowning his head, Lio continued. “I made this land. I have weathered every threat and challenge against it. I have stood against the greatest powers of the Fae court and <em> survived </em>!” His clenched fists trembled as Galo stopped two feet away, looking up at him with eyes that were sad, sober, and too clear. “Don’t treat me like an incompetent invalid!”</p><p>In contrast to Lio’s raised and strained vocals, Galo’s were calmly direct and measured, their unusually flat cadence indicating that he was quoting another.</p><p>“What do you think you are?” His eyes never wavered. “Of course the Burnish eat.” Ah. “Of course you can get hurt.” Lio’s own words from the Oubliette when he was correcting Galo. “Of course you can die.” Galo’s monotone fell apart on that final phrase. Then he took a deeper breath and continued. “Whether part Fae or fully human, you Burnish are <em> all </em> living people.”</p><p>Lio realized he had hovered lower without thinking about it and was now directly at eye level.</p><p>Soooo... Galo was treating him like this not because he thought Lio was pathetic or useless. But because he… truly saw Lio as a <em> person </em>…?</p><p>The angry fire flickered lower, disappearing back into his skin. The fierce winds in his soul calmed, no longer stoking the flame.</p><p>Galo reached out a hand and Lio didn’t move as Galo’s fingertips came to rest lightly against the shirt covering his chest. “Your wounds haven’t healed.” Galo’s eyes were troubled. “This morning they looked almost as dark as before we got here.</p><p>Lio jerked back an inch. “You <em> looked </em>?!”</p><p>Rather than apologize, Galo grimly grasped Lio’s wrist. Without hesitation, he pulled off the thin, leather glove. Held up Lio’s hand between their gazes.</p><p>From fingertips to mid-palm, Lio’s hand was ash gray.</p><p>Galo said nothing but his eyes spoke lecturing volumes.</p><p>So… Galo was treating him like this because he saw him as a <em> person </em> he was <em> worried </em> about. With evidence that showed he might have reason to be.</p><p>Lio considered the idea that he himself might be the less-than-right one in this situation.</p><p>He slowly took back the glove but didn’t put it on. There was no longer any point in covering up the proof of the toll his pace had taken. Instead he took off the other one, revealing an identical condition. He frowned at Galo in frustration rather than anger now.</p><p>“I’m just…” Lio didn’t know how to put the drive he felt into words that didn’t sound desperate and broken.</p><p>“I know,” Galo said with a gaze so honest and understanding, Lio couldn’t look away without feeling like a coward. Galo sank to the ground in a seated position, maintaining eye contact and gently pulling Lio’s wrist with him. Lio let his shoulders drop as he settled across from Galo, beside the almost forgotten pizza.</p><p>Galo released Lio’s wrist, and set his Matoi behind him. Making sure to put himself between the dangerous weapon and Lio, as Lio had noticed he always did. The metal glowed in muted conflict where it touched any part of this Fae world, including the ground. When he looked back and saw Lio staring at it, he cringed. “Sorry, I know it’s dangerous. To everyone here.” Galo rested a hand on it, looking conflicted.</p><p>“It’s fine, I know you won’t use it against us,” Lio affirmed. But he was now curious. Galo had been so proud of his Matoi, using it almost like an anchor of purpose more than a weapon after their first battle. Returning to the Labyrinth as an ally, he had carried it all this way, without using it. “But why keep it out all the time now if you don’t need it? Who… are you wanting to see it?” He shifted his gaze to Galo and tilted his head. “<em> I </em> know you are strong without it.”</p><p>Galo turned very red at Lio’s words, then the color quickly faded as his eyes finally dropped. “It’s not a choice anymore. Lucia tied the summoning spell to my boon. Which I used.”</p><p>Ah. Lio reached for the pizza box and took out two slices. He handed one to Galo.</p><p>“You are still carrying it because you think <em> you </em> need to see it. And remember your failure. Like with your arms.” Lio gave Galo a knowing look as he took a bite of his own slice.</p><p>Galo quickly shook his head in denial and didn’t finish chewing his bite of pizza before he blurted out, “No!” At Lio’s disapproving look, he hastily swallowed before continuing earnestly. “It’s actually kinda the opposite. Remembering the purpose of a Matoi gives me hope. Reminds me of what I <em> can </em> do.”</p><p>“Oh.” Lio’s heart beat a little faster as the red flame in Galo’s eyes grew brighter with his courage. He wanted to see more of it. “What is a Matoi actually for? You said they used it for fighting fires...”</p><p>Galo shook his head again, a confident smile breaking across his face and making it a little harder for Lio to breathe. “Not for fighting. It’s to show people the way so they can get to safety!”</p><p>Understanding sent a wave of warmth through Lio, softening his face. He propped an elbow on his knee and rested his cheek against his hand.</p><p>“You’re not meant to be a follower.”</p><p>Galo had paused mid-bite at Lio’s look. His face began to mirror the tomato sauce. Then he hastily wolfed down three bites at once, all but glaring at his pizza. Cleared his throat and answered while still studying his slice. “I don't like following. I'm not doing enough.”</p><p>Lio straightened in shock. Galo had done nothing but help and protect literally everyone since he’d set foot back in the Labyrinth. Lio most of all. He had been a true helpmeet. And he had turned what should have been an arduous, deeply depressing journey into something that lifted Lio’s spirits… that he could <em> enjoy </em> . He would probably have turned completely gray again by now if it wasn’t for Galo. AND Galo was <em> risking his life </em> to face and take down his own abuser and stop him from hurting others. What more could anyone do?!</p><p>And Lio hadn’t even thanked him.</p><p>But trying to reassure someone without understanding them was counterproductive.</p><p>“What do you mean, not doing enough?”</p><p>Galo began studiously rearranging toppings on a fresh slice as he spoke with uncomplicated frankness. “Even before I caused all the problems, the whole reason you brought me here in the first place was because I could protect the Burnish as a hostage. But since, yknow... <em> he </em> never cared about me, I don’t have that value anymore. I never really did. So I have to find other ways to protect you. All of the Burnish.” There was an air of finality and resolution as Galo concluded by biting into his overly organized pizza.</p><p>Lio’s heart squeezed painfully. <em> Oh Galo </em> … why did he think he had to take on so much? Because Galo, on some level, had been made to believe his value had come from Kray and his affection. And Lio had literally said the same when he told Galo why he had initially brought him here. Right before Kray told him he had none at all. And Lio had never clarified. Anger wanted to take over, but Lio put it firmly aside. There were more important things right now. How could he help Galo see he was valuable because of who <em> he </em> was?</p><p>Rubbing his bare palms together, Lio took a deep breath. “What do you see when you look at this place? Parnassus? The Labyrinth?”</p><p>Galo’s answer was so quick, it couldn’t be anything but true.</p><p>“A home.” Galo looked around but it was clear he was seeing his memories more than their single current location. “A place that welcomes people. Connects them. Where they can belong. Where they can take care of each other and grow as themselves.”</p><p>Galo’s pure perspective, that the Burnish really did have a home here, filled Lio with a happiness so acute it stole his voice for several seconds. It also broke his heart. He almost didn’t have the strength to make his next query.</p><p>Swallowing, he mustered his courage to ask a decidedly terrifying question.</p><p>“What do you see when you look at me?”</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p>Galo stared at Lio. The Fae King across from him was perfectly still, but his eye colors were wavering so rapidly, they shimmered. It would be all too easy to get completely lost in them.</p><p>Fortunately, Lio had asked such an easy question. A flood of answers came immediately to mind, eager and adoring, but the one most unbidden was also the loudest.</p><p><em> A home </em>.</p><p>Galo took a deep breath, knowing that was only a hope for <em> someday </em>. Right now...</p><p>“Someone true.”</p><p>The shimmering eyes melted into smooth pools, then came stunningly closer as Lio leaned forward, voice earnest. “I see what’s true about <em> you </em> . What makes you someone Kray can hate is what makes you someone <em> I </em> value.” Lio stopped as though dissatisfied with the words he had chosen. Then continued, gesturing to the Labyrinth around them. “You recognize the merit of this place and its people. You know I tell the truth. Well look around, <em> everything and everyone I love </em> is despised by Kray. He doesn’t define your worth. Like everyone here, you have value. Because, Galo Thymos, you are exactly you.”</p><p>So many thoughts crashed together in Galo’s mind as Lio spoke, soothing and strengthening things he hadn’t even been aware were aching. But it was the hidden possibilities in his words that made Galo's heart leap and then thunder.</p><p>
  <em> “...everyone I love…” </em>
</p><p>Galo tried to hold back the stinging feeling that climbed from his throat to line his eyes. Lio’s eyes widened at Galo’s reaction, and he hastily opened the pizza box. Took out the last two slices, handing one to Galo. Then held his slice aloft in salute.</p><p>“To good company.”</p><p>Galo wobbly-smiled and Lio flushed. Galo full-on grinned and declared, “I’m so glad you decided to spend some time with me!” He downed the pizza in three bites for extra emphasis, and Lio huffed in amusement.</p><p>“I <em> am </em> grateful you’re here,” Lio reemphasized as he began to eat his slice more slowly. “Thank you for keeping watch last night when I couldn’t. And…” he pressed his hand to his chest and looked up at Galo. “These kinds of wounds… heal from the inside out. But they hurt less today. Your fire… it helped. Your will did that. You took the fire I gave you and made it your own. Infused healing and protection in it, a projection of your own character. It was powerful.”</p><p>Lio’s appreciation felt like the entire sun had gotten shoved into Galo’s chest. He beamed. “That’s my burning soul!”</p><p>“Just so.” Almost! <em> Almost </em> a smile, as Lio continued, and Galo didn’t know if he’d be able to handle any more. “It shows in other ways, too. The way you care for the Burnish, it makes a difference. To them and to me.”</p><p>Galo broke from his helpless basking as a Burnish flare lifted his Matoi from behind him, sputtering against the steel, and placed it in Galo’s hands. “So tell me about Galo’s way. How do you use that to show people a path?”</p><p>The handle was a reassuring weight in his hands. Grounding him in his past and the hope for his future. How could he explain?</p><p>“It’s not just my way.” Galo ran his eyes along the length of the Matoi. “Matoi is something my family passed down. My parents used to tell me the stories, from long ago, how our family faced any fire so others could break free and live.” Galo closed his eyes, imagining it for the thousandth time. “No matter how hot the blaze, those fire fighters would stand high and provide a beacon of hope, so that anyone caught in the fire and smoke and fear, with nothing else in sight, could have a lifeline. Could find their courage, to follow a path and keep their bright future. Could know that, whatever they lost, whatever difficulty was surrounding them, there was something beyond it worth reaching for.” Galo opened his eyes and lifted the Matoi high, voice ringing through the courtyard. “It’s the ideals we live by, passed down across generations, a way to remember we’re all part of each other. That there is <em> always </em> hope for the future as long as you’re willing to face the fire. That it’s the people with us who make it all worthwhile. That no one is alone. That everyone is worth saving.” Galo planted the end of the Matoi on the ground and started twisting it slightly so the strips hanging down twirled. “And that’s why I wanted to use it for my family now. Lucia and I made it with all our hope so we could bring everyone home. And… I wanted everyone, all the Burnish, to have that hope, too. I just didn’t know you had already given them that… and so much more.”</p><p>Galo looked back to Lio with a nod of appreciation and a content sigh, full of an unchanging faith in the ideals that meant so much to him.</p><p>Galo froze, forgetting everything.</p><p>Lio was smiling.</p><p>It had come on so soft and quiet, while he wasn’t even looking or trying.</p><p>And it wasn’t just any smile. It was for him. Kind and admiring and tender, and he didn’t know if there was a word for it, but it was the most beautiful thing in the world. There was no barrier between them, Lio was pouring light into his very soul. That brightest, hidden fire in his eyes was finally released, transforming his stunning, distant face into something radiant and intimate. It was a flame in this new, sealed space of their own, and it sucked all the air from Galo's lungs.</p><p>It had come freely. He hadn’t even needed to do anything.</p><p>“You don’t need a separate object. <em> You </em> are like that. A certain flame of hope.” Lio closed his eyes, the smile turning to something peaceful. “You make me believe things.” After several heartbeats, the smile turned rueful as Lio stood with a sigh, side-eying Galo without quite meeting his gaze. “You make me want things.”</p><p>Galo stood, reached forward and gently grasped Lio’s wrist as he began to move away. “Things I can <em> give </em>?”</p><p>Lio didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he tugged his wrist, drawing Galo alongside him as he walked, rather than hovering. “Come on. We have people to rescue.”</p><p>Now Galo sighed.</p><p>Lio looked up at him with a raised brow questioning his sudden lack of rescue enthusiasm.</p><p>“Do you <em> have </em> to kiss them?”</p><p>Surprise washed over Lio’s face and held it for a moment. Then he laughed. Galo reeled. The smile was still seared into his mind’s eye and now this happy melody made it burst into unimagined colors. There was nothing inside of him but a rainbow of balloons tugging him into a blinding sky.</p><p>“That's what's been bothering you?? Barrel your way through anything, and seeing people kiss makes you shy?” More buoyant laughter and a fond look that set flame to Galo's face. "That is so stupidly cute," Lio rested his forehead in his palm for a moment, sounding gruff and frustrated. Then he laughed again, as if releasing one had let a whole flock of them escape at will. Galo continued to float along after them. A smile perched on Lio’s lips as he continued in a teasing voice. “This is a Faerie tale, after all. It’s how you wake people up.” More laughter, and this time it caught Galo as well. They were aloft together.</p><p>The Labyrinth sang with the echos. It actually did change. <em> Yeah, me, too </em>, Galo thought as the courtyard trees burst into full bloom. Wildflowers raced out from where they stood and Galo could see them trailing down the corridors. He had a feeling that these brick passages actually didn’t want to ever be boring. There was a hidden magic in them, too, that could be released.</p><p>Their laughter finally quieted, but the joy stayed as they started walking again. Galo’s hand was somehow holding Lio’s, still bare, and Lio didn’t pull away as he continued. “Actually, what you’re calling a kiss is just the easiest way to transfer fire and reestablish my Claim when someone is unconscious.”</p><p>That caught Galo’s attention. If he recalled… a Faerie Claim meant you were tied to them in some way.</p><p>“Your Claim?”</p><p>“A bond. It’s the best way for me to protect people here in my realm.”</p><p>“I see…” Galo glanced at Lio, who was still smiling softly beside him as they left the courtyard. “<em> I’m </em> here in your realm.”</p><p>Lio’s smile turned sardonic as he very slowly raised a brow at Galo. “Very observant.”</p><p>“Well…” Galo gazed up at the sky, keeping his voice casual. “Don’t you think it’d be helpful to Claim <em> me </em>?”</p><p>Galo knew he was just being greedy now. Smiles! AND laughter! AND handholding! And now he was asking for a kiss?! But he very much hoped the answer would be a resounding yes.</p><p>Lio had paused in his stride, their joined hands halting Galo as well. And now he was turning to face him. Galo's heart accelerated as the enchantingly small and graceful figure drew a step nearer. The supernatural heat from his body and the wafting rose aroma encased Galo in an invisible bubble of subtle sensation.</p><p>"I already did Claim you.” Lio’s words struck something soul deep within Galo, a Truth buried in his core. “You gave me your name in a binding. And I sealed it with my own. In the sight of Fae powers,” Lio tilted his head, his eyes somehow merry and deeply serious at the same time, “You belong to me until the challenge is complete. And I am responsible for your fate."</p><p>This whole time, he had been Lio’s. What a heady thought. “Why did you do that?”</p><p>“To protect you. I don't take anyone in without a way to protect them.” Not even an enemy, Galo realized. Lio squeezed Galo’s hand, then tugged him forward into a walk again.</p><p>Galo barely heard what Lio said for the next leg of their journey, far too preoccupied with plans to make this temporary Claim permanent. To belong to Lio forever and claim him back. All he had to do was <em> win </em>.</p><p>If you had asked Galo after his visit what Psamathe was like, he wouldn’t have been able to tell you any useful details. But he would have regaled you with vague assertions that it was the best town in the Labyrinth, maybe the whole world, and everyone there was particularly wonderful, and maybe there was pizza and it was probably the best tasting thing ever, but his dinner partner had captured his entire attention and hit Galo’s mental reset button everytime he smiled.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p>Galo swung their hands gently back and forth as twilight began to set in an hour outside of Psamathe. Lio had put his gloves back on before arriving at the town, but he took them off once they were out of sight and openly let Galo see that the gray had spread to his wrists. Then he simply said, “Trust me. I can go a little longer.” Slipped his now cool hand in Galo’s and let him keep it warm as they walked. Galo tried to stay calm and calculate how much longer it would be before they would stop for the night.</p><p>“I wish <em> I </em> could just kiss people and protect them,” Galo mused absentmindedly as he watched the sky crystal slowly change from golden glow to silvery shine with the coming of night. The color of the moon’s light reminded him of how it had felt to have Lio’s fire burn within him. He squeezed Lio's hand. “I don't deserve a home I can't protect.”</p><p>Lio halted. Then he was there, hovering eye to eye, so Galo could see how intensely the purple flared with roiling emotion. </p><p>“Who told you that?”</p><p>“No one,” Galo quickly answered, surprised at this reaction. “It’s just the tru--”</p><p>But then he remembered the voice that <em> had </em> indeed said it to him, the idea imprinting on his young mind. It’s what Kray had explained to him when encouraging him to join Burning Rescue when he was eight.</p><p>Galo stayed silent. He couldn’t tell Lio it was Kray, but Lio seemed to have already figured it out. He looked darkly angry. Galo looked down, frustrated that he was continuing to listen to Kray despite everything.</p><p>Hoping to move past the moment, Galo offered a partial explanation. “It <em> was </em> standard, what they told us when we were recruited. Why we should join Burning Rescue.”</p><p>“And who started Burning Rescue?”</p><p>Galo pressed his lips together. He should have known better than to try a partial truth with Lio, a master in the art.</p><p>“Let me get this straight,” Lio’s voice sounded so cold and foreign, it startled Galo into looking back up. “Kray Foresight told orphan children it was their fault they didn’t have a home, and then recruited them to fight for him so they could <em> earn </em> one.” Galo’s eyes widened. Lio was <em> livid </em> . The fire twisted to ice in his eyes. For the first time, it actually occurred to Galo that he might make a truly terrifying enemy. “And you… think <em> you’ve </em> failed.”</p><p>“I have.” The words tumbled out before he could think better of them. “My parents, my siblings, you… I haven’t been able to protect anyone. That’s just the truth.” He wasn’t bitter or sulking, just grounded in reality so he could look forward. “But I… I want to have a home and a family. I won’t give up!” Galo called on his inner fire, hoping to melt the ice in Lio’s face.</p><p>It didn’t melt, but it was set aside, and the soft, steady glow returned as Lio considered Galo’s determined face.</p><p>“Galo.” Lio lifted their clasped hands between them and placed his free one on Galo’s cheek. He spoke with open sincerity. “A family is not something you earn.” He brushed a thumb softly across Galo’s skin. “You deserve a home no matter what.”</p><p>The very <em> home </em> Galo wanted was telling him such things could be free. Galo felt his hope brighten inside.</p><p>Then Lio’s eyes burned deep and intense. “And if the world doesn't give you a place, you make your own.”</p><p>Galo leaned into Lio’s palm. “Like you did.”</p><p>The simple words set off a flutter of emotions in Lio’s face, but it settled on silent grief. Not what Galo had been going for.</p><p>“Why does it make you sad?” Galo straightened, concerned. “Having a home and a family?”</p><p>Lio’s eyes became suddenly distant and he dropped the hand holding Galo’s face. “I’m not like you. I can live anywhere. And I don’t need a family.”</p><p>Galo felt like he’d fallen into the icy lake. “That’s not true.” Galo didn’t buy it for one second, not after watching Lio with his people for three days, seeing how much everything here meant to him. A chill took hold, though, when Galo realized that for a truth-bound Fae like Lio to say such a thing, it meant he actually believed it.</p><p>Lio looked away and kept his tone conversational. “Can’t miss what you never had. Didn’t know my father and my mother didn’t want to know me.”</p><p>Galo wondered if Lio was being purposely obtuse. So he posed the obvious as a question. “But you have people here? Your Generals <em> said </em> you were a family, a home.” Lio looked quickly back at him with naked fear, even as Galo continued. “Plus, all your Burnish--”</p><p>Lio went white and his eye colors snapped apart, purple and gold separately shining in devastation. “Don’t say that!” He clapped his hands over Galo’s mouth as if the words themselves were dangerous.</p><p>Galo tugged them away, determined to get to the bottom of this very crucial, very ridiculous blockade. “Whether I say it or not doesn’t make it true or not!”</p><p>Lio jerked his arms back. “Look where it got them!” He hovered backwards a few feet. “My prophecy is clear: fate doesn’t allow me to have anything like that.”</p><p>“Then your prophecy is stupid.” Galo crossed his arms. He hated the sound of pain in Lio’s voice.</p><p>“I’ll tell the fates when I see them.” Lio’s tone was bitter and wry as he turned and hovered forward. Galo immediately strode after him.</p><p>“I don’t believe in prophecies.”</p><p>“You’re lucky you have that option.”</p><p>“So you were <em> lying </em> to me?”</p><p>Lio finally spun back around.</p><p>“What?!” Lio raged at the accusation. An intangible wind once again began whipping up sparks across his body.</p><p>“You <em> just told me </em> that if the world didn’t give you a home you could build your own!”</p><p>Lio darted at Galo and stopped a mere foot away. “I didn’t mean <em> me </em>!”</p><p>“That’s stupid!” Galo was properly yelling now. “What do you call all this?!” He waved his arms frantically at the whole world. “You built a home! For so many people!” He pointed emphatically at Lio. “And I <em> know </em> you love them!”</p><p>“No!” Lio screamed and exploded into dark fire again, his edges turning sharp and wispy and crawling with electricity. “That’s <em> theirs </em> ! <em> I </em> just have to be <em> alone </em>!”</p><p>Galo’s anger broke into grief. Lio looked so enraged and terrified. Galo was already reaching for him when Lio’s body shuddered, the fire frantically roiling, then it went out completely. Lio collapsed, dropping into Galo’s arms.</p><p>And then it was Galo’s turn to be terrified. Gray swirled up Lio’s neck and billowed in curls across his face like smoke, even seeping into his hair. If Galo hadn’t been trained in rescue management, he might have panicked.</p><p>“Lio, <em> tell me </em> what is happening to you.”</p><p>Lio’s eyes had grown very quiet, but they were aware. His throat sounded raspy as he replied, “I just… overloaded.”</p><p>“What does that mean?” Galo’s tone was direct and no-nonsense. “Please tell me the full truth.”</p><p>Lio pressed his lips together, then cleared his throat and explained. “The iron…” he brought a hand weakly to rest on his chest. “...wedged me open and drew on a current of fire endlessly. I was stretched to capacity and yet completely empty when the full power of Earth’s core was drawn in. I’m like… a battery that was plugged in too long, overdrawn, and then overloaded past my limit. It’s hard to hold a charge until things shift back in balance.”</p><p>Galo took a deep, steadying breath and tried to keep his voice calm despite what that explanation made him feel. “And how do we get things back in balance?”</p><p>Lio just dodged his eyes and Galo’s tone grew louder with exasperation. “Let me guess, time and rest??”</p><p>A weary pout was his only reply.</p><p>Galo narrowed his eyes as he stood, shifting Lio into a more secure position and trying to remember he was too angry at this armful to cuddle. “You are an idiot. But it’s very <em> fortunate </em> that you’re so completely wrong. Because you’re <em> not </em> alone. And <em> we </em> are going back to Psamathe.” </p><p>Galo turned, but Lio jerked weakly in his arms.</p><p>“No!”</p><p>“You’re not the one deciding things right now.” Galo stomped back down the path, the ease with which he was able to restrain Lio irritating him rather than providing relief.</p><p>“Don’t go <em> back </em> and waste <em> more </em> time!”</p><p>“If we stop out here, you’ll need to maintain an invisibility spell and you’ll use more energy instead of resting!”</p><p>“But--”</p><p>“If you didn’t want people to see me carrying you, you should have taken care of <em> yourself </em>.”</p><p>“Galo.” The plea in Lio’s voice succeeded in stopping him. He glared down, but felt himself waver at the sight of Lio propped against his shoulder, partially gray with vulnerable eyes that were still broken into separate, faded colors.</p><p>“There is a hidden safehouse a few miles straight ahead where I won’t have to maintain an invisibility spell. We can rest there.”</p><p>Galo hesitated.</p><p>“Please.”</p><p>Galo sighed and leaned his forehead against Lio’s. “Only if you sleep along the way.”</p><p>Lio nodded, and Galo turned and headed onward again. Lio settled his cheek on Galo’s shoulder and began to relax, but then gasped and stiffened as something they passed caught his eye.</p><p>“Your Matoi!” Lio stared over Galo’s shoulder, fingers tugging at Galo’s back to stop him.</p><p>“It’s fine.” Galo didn’t pause.</p><p>“But!” Lio sounded alarmed.</p><p>“I can’t hold both, and I’m already carrying what’s important.”</p><p>Lio was silent, then said softly, “But… we can go back to Psamathe… and pick it up on our way tomorrow.”</p><p>“Forward is better.” Galo didn’t waver. “The people we’re saving are more important than a symbol.”</p><p>Lio dropped his forehead to Galo’s shoulder. Galo felt soft lips briefly brush against his skin, but was sure that was an accident of their movement. Yet it inspired him to continue.</p><p>“Besides, I think I remember you saying I was sexy and strong without it.”</p><p>Maybe it wasn’t fair to turn up the flirty sass when Lio was too weak to rebuff him, but he’d been so full of nonsense this past hour, fairness seemed less important than getting him to stop taking himself so dire and serious.</p><p>Lio quickly proved Galo didn’t have to worry about <em> fairness </em> at all.</p><p>A husky voice breathed very close to Galo’s ear. “Well. It does leave both your hands free.”</p><p>So casually he struck a spark. Let it catch the kindling of Galo’s imagination. And then drifted innocently off. Leaving Galo highly aware of his hands (and other things) for the next hour’s march while Lio slept in peaceful revenge.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p>The safehouse was actually an adorable cottage right out of a Faerie tale. And it only had one bed. Galo didn’t mind at all. And Lio didn’t wake up as he settled them in for the night.</p><p>
  <em> Dad. Okay, so, if you were here, you might tell me that planning to get married to a guy I’ve only really known for two weeks is rushing it. I actually didn’t really process it either when the idea first came up because so much crazy stuff was happening. I was just trying to survive and figure things out. But Dad. Mom. I just know. Lio is the one. More than anyone… I want to be there for him. Be with him. And… I can’t seem to imagine life without him anymore. How can that happen so fast?? Did you feel like this when you met? Like life suddenly got really clear and made sense and was better than you had ever imagined? Like things that were silent your whole life were suddenly singing? And you saw colors you didn’t know existed and maybe wouldn’t be able to see without this person here? A person so precious that you’re scared when you hold them because they make you too happy? But touching them is like nothing else exists and you want to do it as much as possible, to burn more and more, ever higher? </em>
</p><p>Galo realized how tightly he was now wrapped around Lio, fully encompassing the smaller form, legs interlocked and toes tracing against slender ankles.</p><p>He couldn’t help it. He cherished Lio. And the urge to protect was so strong. After last night--hearing the words that spoke through their mental bond as Lio slept, the harsh, demeaning phrases flowing from a thousand voices, none of them Lio’s--Galo longed to reconnect so he could once more silence them with truth. Lio’s hands had felt unnaturally cool, and when Galo removed the gloves to warm them up, had seen the ash-colored skin beneath, he immediately knew what he was looking at. Life had been drained from those slim digits. Truly worried, he had checked to make sure the previous wounds were healing, and couldn’t help crying again when he realized they weren’t. He wanted to help Lio so badly, but Lio made it very clear when he woke that he didn’t want that help.</p><p>But he needed it.</p><p>So Galo wasn’t going anywhere.</p><p>He curled around Lio even closer.</p><p>Galo sighed, realizing this was probably going overboard and wouldn’t really count as “protecting” him. He reluctantly loosened his hold just a bit and began running his fingers through impossibly soft, thick hair. “It’s your fault. Three days at your place and we’ve already gone on a bunch of dates, you fire-kissed me, held my hand, and we keep sleeping together.” He kissed the crown of Lio’s head and snuggled in further. “I’m beginning to think you like me.” Lio sighed softly in his sleep, his nose nuzzling into Galo’s neck.</p><p>To have and to hold.</p><p>
  <em> Nope, marriage isn’t rushing things. Good night, Dad. Mom. </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*****</p><p>Author’s Note:</p><p>;______; Galoooooo.</p><p>Dude. Galo was so determined to help and Lio was so convinced every gesture was judgment and rejection. Lio, u bein ridic. But I know there are Reasons. It’s a good thing Galo is so stubborn.</p><p>From a writing perspective, this is one of the chapters I’m actually proud of. It’s all in nuances that I dunno if anyone else will get, but characterization and character arcs are the most important thing to me in a story, and I’m happy with how the interplay between these two here expressed almost exactly what I wanted to get across every step of the way. Like, Lio being so upset because he thought Galo was thinking badly of him, and it’s only when he’s seeking to comfort Galo that he’s finally brave enough to just outright ask what Galo thinks of him. Taking that risk because it might help Galo. And Galo’s such a freaking pure soul at all times, he overwhelms Lio when he finally listens.</p><p>Just.</p><p>These two.</p><p>I love them.</p><p>Incidentally, Galo’s response to Lio’s question, “Someone true”, is one of my favorite lines from the Labyrinth opening song (Underground). Again, I love that that song thematically matches this story, too.<br/>https://youtu.be/p5-IbNHfETM?t=50</p><p>  <i>It's only forever<br/>Not long at all<br/>Lost and lonely</i></p><p>  <i>No one can blame you<br/>For walking away<br/>Too much rejection<br/>No love injection<br/>Life can be easy<br/>It's not always swell<br/>Don't tell me truth hurts, little girl<br/>'Cause it hurts like hell</i></p><p>  <i>But down in the underground<br/>You'll find someone true<br/>Down in the underground<br/>A land serene<br/>A crystal moon,</i></p><p>  <i>It's only forever<br/>It's not long at all<br/>Lost and lonely<br/>That's underground<br/>Underground</i></p><p>I mean, also, who can resist David Bowie?? I wanted to reference him, as well, which is where the concept of Lio’s emotional heterochromia comes from. One of Bowie’s most recognizable features were his eyes of different colors--although I recently found out it was because of an eye injury that left one of them permanently dilated!.</p><p>The title for this chapter is from another song (Within You). I just thought the title appropriate since they both find it perfectly natural to believe in the other but neither knows that’s how the other feels at first. Because there are things that undermine their belief in themselves.</p><p>Galo. Baby. I want to protect you from what’s going to happen tomorrow (in the fic). And the day after. And the day after. ^^;;;;;;</p><p>But first, the next chapter is one of the funniest and funnest in the whole fic.</p><p>And THEN… Galo finally learns the true cost of a Labyrinth win. O_O</p><p>And then a whole lot of stuff happens.</p><p>These babies need lotsa hugs, okay? Let’s just give them lots of hugs in the comments, please. I need that. My heart.</p><p> </p><p>Twitter: @akadoreengreene</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Feeling Brighter Than Sunlight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Lio and Galo enjoy a love hotel and Meis and Gueira find out? Lucia has to put up with too many dorks.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Who is Grandma?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Lio blinked blearily at the strange sight in front of him and wondered if he was actually still sleeping.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A far too awake Galo was sitting at a sunny table across the small room with several brochures open in front of him and a nearly empty coffee pot. He was wearing a cap with the words GET LOST superimposed over an embroidered maze and a shirt (aw) that read </span>
  <em>
    <span>Go to Granny’s: Stay to Get Away.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Lio ran his fingers through his sleep tousled hair as Galo bounced over from the table and landed on the foot of the bed facing him. He pointed at a sign over the door that declared this was “Grandma’s House” and dropped several pamphlets in front of Lio followed by a tome with the words Flarebnb Guestbook in holographic letters on the cover.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ugh, he forgot how touristy this place was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Grandma’s Houses are a chain for </span>
  <em>
    <span>discreet</span>
  </em>
  <span> staycations.” Lio scrubbed at his eyes, noting that only his fingertips were gray now. “They go invisible once occupied.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo looked like a kid who had found his hidden birthday presents a day early as he began flipping through the guestbook. “I learned </span>
  <em>
    <span>so many things</span>
  </em>
  <span>, people left all kinds of tips, and there’s this brochure with a map and everything for something called an Aphrodesial Day Trip that sounds--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio slammed the book closed with his palm and snatched it from Galo’s hands. “No more side quests!” He </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> read a Grandma’s guestbook or two in the past, and thinking of Galo knowing how to do such things set his face (and other things) on fire.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stupid Galo was staring at him with a dangerously attractive mix of affection and mischief in his smile. Lio found himself frozen as Galo leaned forward, lids slightly lowered. “Want to start a new challenge?” He held up a pamphlet that advised readers to “Enjoy the Hero’s Journey: Many Paths, One Destination” with several images of intimate </span>
  <em>
    <span>equipment</span>
  </em>
  <span> and a summoning spell for a shop called Cupid’s Bow and Charmory.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio pushed Galo’s face away, wishing it was having less of an effect on his sleep-addled brain. “Go make me some coffee! I’m not awake enough for this stupidity,” he sputtered, incinerating all the brochures at once to end this line of discussion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo laughed as the ash floated around him. “You’re the one who insisted we come here, what am I supposed to think?” Then he leaned forward before Lio could react, quirked a finger under Lio’s chin, and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. “That’s how you help people wake up around here, right?” Galo murmured against his hair, then quickly stood without making eye contact. “But I’ll make some more coffee, too.” Lio could just see the red in Galo’s cheeks and ears as he got busy making a fresh cup at the small kitchenette. Lio drew up his legs and pressed his own burning cheeks into his knees as he watched and tried to slow his racing heart. Huh, the last of the gray had left his fingers.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And then after that, we’ll have to scope out the city and figure out what kinds of defenses Kray has in place,” Lio concluded, draining the last dregs of coffee from his cup and setting it on the plate now empty of his simple breakfast.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was content to pause and wait for Galo to process everything he’d just told him about their path ahead to Goblin City. Because Galo’s concentrating face was a very nice thing to watch. He had removed the hat when sitting down to the meal, and the soft breeze from the open window gently tugged at his hair. The sun played over all his features, somehow both strong and soft, revealing all sorts of hidden contours in the light and shadows. There was something mesmerizing about how the slope of his cheek met his lips, perfectly suited to smiling. And ki--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll reach Perdita by nightfall tonight, then tomorrow go through the Lost Woods--where we definitely have to hold hands the whole time--until we get to the city gates,” Galo summarized. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got it,” Lio confirmed. Galo beamed. Lio rested his chin on his palm and smiled back. Galo mirrored the move. Neither of them spoke for a minute.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think the connection is frozen, they’re not moving.” Lucia’s voice cut across their silent gazing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio flushed in embarrassment as he realized that a fire crystal with an active communications spell had floated in through the window and halted between them a mere two inches to the side. And he hadn’t even noticed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lucia!” Galo sounded so happy to see his sister. Lio’s heart gave a tug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The one and only!” Lucia cried gleefully. “Man, I am so glad to see you in one piece. I can’t believe you survived this long. Thanks for that, Boss!” She finished by addressing Lio.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey!” Galo crossed his arms, indignant.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio chuckled. “Don’t worry, Miss Lucia, I’ll make sure to return him in good condition.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“BOOOOOOSSSSS!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gueira! Meis!” Lio could feel the tears begin to gather as soon as he’d heard their voices. He pulled the crystal closer and gazed earnestly into it. “I didn’t know you were awake, I couldn’t contact you!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meis’ face filled the crystal, looking a little dazed and red. “Yeah Boss, sorry ‘bout that, Kray’s got all these Kraaaay-zee damping spells that--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gueira suddenly took prominence, his eyes wide and face flushed. “Boooooooss!! We saw the moon and I wanted to come find you but Lucia said it was too dangerous and we should find a way to contact you instead and Meis agreed so we figured out how to use the crystals like you do and direct them to find you and it’s so small no one noticed so now here we are talking to you even though we’re in the castle attic and you’re at Grandma’s for some reason and I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE OKAY!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio took a calm breath. “Miss Lucia.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her disgruntled face took over the crystal. “Yeah, Boss?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You gave them sugar.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gueira’s gleeful face reappeared. “I like sugar! It makes me happyyyyy!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meis pressed against Gueira’s cheek, eyes half-lidded. “I like you when you’re happy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two began dueling tongues and Lio called, “Lucia!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo’s eyes widened. “I think I read about this in the Guestbook.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucia took over the crystal and there was the sound of a door opening. “So many delightful sweets here and yet I keep losing my appetite,” she mourned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A distant voice crooned, “Nothing is as sweet as </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” And then Lucia slammed a door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please come take them back,” Lucia pleaded. “I had to burn all the sweets! They kept finding them no matter where I hid them!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio closed his eyes solemnly. “Alcohol.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio opened his eyes, serious and commiserating. “Get some wine from the cellar. It will sober them up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucia stared at him. “Of course, why didn’t I think of that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lucia,” Lio felt his throat tighten. “Thank you for finding and taking care of them. I owe you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucia grinned, but it was kind. “Nah, we’re good. You took care of my Big Dork for me. Now what do you say we meet up and swap bros?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio laughed and Galo pulled his chair around, leaning into Lio so they were both visible together. “No, I need to stay with Lio!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I know about the mech thing, what do you think I’ve been working on all this time while babysitting the Dork Duo? Also, whoa, first-name-basis, huh?” Lucia leaned forward in interest. “Can’t wait to hear about your journey.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo grinned, looking askance at Lio. “It’s a </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hero’s Journey</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Many Paths, One Des--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio slapped a hand over his mouth, glaring. “Yes, Lucia, lots to catch up on. What’s the situation there?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucia glanced back and forth between them curiously, but nodded and continued. “Okay, so here’s the deal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right now, Kray’s got the castle and city.” She held up a finger. “They’re pretty solidly defended, both magically and in munitions.” She held up a second finger. “He’s also got this freaky looking mech that’s, like, twice the size of the one Deus’ and I are working on, but it’s all brawn and no flair. I’ll make sure you’re all set on that front.” She held up a third finger. “Kray’s also got all those dumb Freeze Force losers.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All three of them automatically frowned in annoyance. But then Lucia smiled in quiet satisfaction as she held up her whole fist and announced, “But </span>
  <em>
    <span>we’ve</span>
  </em>
  <span>... got Heris.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both Lio and Galo remained silent, frowns turning troubled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” Lucia nodded. “But she’s legit hungry to take Kray down, too. And she’s the best inside track we have on Kray and his plans and spells. She’s prepping another spell to connect with the Burnish and their fire, as ordered by Kray. But she’s engineering it so only we can access it. It’ll block him from them. Kray is totally wasting his time right now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio’s eyes grew wide and he leaned back in his chair. “What if… we use that access with a summons…” he murmured, then leaned forward, palms propped on the table, voice strengthening. “Oh, the Burnish might be able to do it! If Meis and Gueira can help coordinate, and we work the spell that gathers the Burnish’s fire through my Claim… with all the tagging we’ve done… we could expel Freeze Force in one go!” Lio turned to Galo with a grin that Galo matched, a tangible excitement building. “Probably have enough collective power to break Kray’s hold on the Labyrinth entirely! The Burnish can reclaim their home!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Was it possible they could pull this off, take down Kray and transfer the Labyrinth to the Burnish, without it costing his life?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucia was just as excited as she quickly caught on. “Oh ho ho, that is BRILLIANT!” Her grin turned feral. “Kray tries to take all the Burnish and instead takes out all his own troops and castle? Inspired, my King!” She made a mock bow. “And if we send the goons topside, I can coordinate with Burning Rescue to restrain them. I jacked into Kray’s Above-to-Underground comms and commandeered a channel.” Her eyes gleamed in self-satisfaction. “Got the intel from Ignis. It’s not just our squad. They spread the word, now all BR units know about Kray’s betrayal and are thirsting for some proper revenge. Besides, we all already hated the Freeze Force, overbearing, violent assholes that they are. It’s about time we had some real justice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio reached up and clasped Galo’s shoulder as he adjusted the crystal evenly between them and grinned back at Lucia. “Sounds like a plan. Where should we meet you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where is the mech?!” Galo asked eagerly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“South gate of the city, you’re heading right for it!” Then she paused and the confident celebration in her face faded a bit. “Um, there’s one more thing. Not even Heris knows the details, but… Kray’s planning something else.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio felt reality crash back down and knock some sense into their heady planning. “A hidden play.” Damn. Of course.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. And it’s aimed at you, Boss.” Lio cocked his head at her, so she clarified. “He thinks just getting you here practically ensures he’ll win.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo glowered and his arm was suddenly solidly around Lio’s waist. “Yeah. He’s thought that the whole time,” Galo’s tone was grim as the reaper. He faced the targeted King. “He’s been planning to use you somehow since the beginning. He told me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He just thinks I know something I don’t,” Lio clarified to them both. “A key or something, that accesses the Core he wants to break through. It doesn’t exist and he won’t be able to force his way through without the Burnish, so.” Lio shrugged away the non-threat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, that’s not it.” Galo spoke with conviction. “You don’t know Kray like I do.” Lio narrowed his eyes, hating the reminder that the two were close. Galo rushed on. “Like, when you were a dragon, he was eager for you to attack. Why??”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh.” Both Lio and Lucia said at the same time, puzzled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did overhear Kray say that was planned,” Lucia confirmed, troubled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio didn’t have an answer for that. “Seems like a small detail, but… that’s usually where one gets caught in these games.” He sighed, discouraged, and Galo tightened his arm. Then Lio looked steadily at Galo. “You had my back then. I trust you to do the same now. Your instincts in this are better than mine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio realized with surprise that he actually felt a peaceful confidence with the ambiguity. Because... he knew he could rely on Galo. Galo, on the other hand, had paled, and his fingers twisted in the fabric at Lio’s waist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were so caught in their moment, they didn’t hear the commotion from the crystal at first, until--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“WHY DO YOU HAVE YOUR HANDS ON BOSS!” Gueira’s face was suddenly all they could see in the crystal, and he looked livid. “You’d better not be tryin’ to win anything!” Gueira howled.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>Image artist <a>Shiori42</a></em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lio leaned very close to the crystal, feeling his fire darken as he glared. “Yes, Gueira, I heard you told Galo many dangerous things.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gueira got teary and backed away so he and Meis were both visible. “S-sorry, Boss. I just don’ want anything bad to happen to you.” Meis nodded and patted Gueira’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo grabbed the crystal and gave them a huge smile. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m</span>
  </em>
  <span> grateful you told me!” He reassured.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gueira went full crystal again, louder and angrier than ever. “SHUT THE HELL UP! I STILL MEAN ALL OF IT! BOSS IS OFF LIMITS!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh!!” They heard Meis’ voice and Gueira backed up to look at him. A visibly dark miasmic aura surrounded the more reserved General. “They are at </span>
  <em>
    <span>Grandma’s</span>
  </em>
  <span>… HE TOOK BOSS TO </span>
  <em>
    <span>GRANDMA’S</span>
  </em>
  <span>!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gueira burst into flames. Both Generals’ fire began raging out of control when they turned back to Galo, and they heard Lucia yelp and shriek “Who the hell is grandma?!” in the background. Galo dropped the crystal and shook his hands to cool them, as Lio caught the overheated orb and jumped in to explain.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, that was my idea, actually.” At the absolutely scandalized looks he got from his Generals, Lio flushed and hurried on. “It was safe and hidden, and I needed to rest!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meis and Gueira’s fire snuffed out. The sudden, ringing silence spoke volumes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Meis began, “Needed to </span>
  <em>
    <span>rest</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gueira gave a little sob and asked in a wobbly voice, “Are you dying, Boss?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!” Lio actually shouted in irritation, but Galo shoved his suddenly teary face in front of the crystal and cut him off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Yes</span>
  </em>
  <span>! It was really bad! All this stuff happened with iron and a dragon and wild-fur and he pretends he’s not hurt even though he is and then he gives all his fire to the Burnish and won’t even slow down!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Galo, you--!” Lio furiously shoved his face out of the way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Galo just grabbed the crystal from his hand and finished in one breath. “He got all overloaded and went all gray and could barely move! I had to </span>
  <em>
    <span>carry</span>
  </em>
  <span> him here!” His eyes shone with cathartic release as he tattled on Lio.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio kicked the chair out from under Galo and let him crash on his ass as he reclaimed the crystal. His own skin rippled with dark fire and lightning, eyes paling with an inferno of heat as he glared first at Galo, then at his Generals.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I. Am. Fine. End of discussion.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio glowered amid tendrils of smoke, daring them to say anything.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well,” Meis said carefully, like he was trying to clear his head enough to navigate with sensitivity, “We were actually worried abou-- I mean, </span>
  <em>
    <span>thinking</span>
  </em>
  <span> about that, when the moon showed us you were reclaiming settlements. And we knew the city would be a particularly heavy draw--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It will be fine, I’m almost back to normal--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo gave a disbelieving snort as he settled his chair even closer and leaned stubbornly into Lio, like he wasn’t even worried about getting burnt. Lio didn’t know if he was more irritated with Galo’s presumption or the fact that he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>right</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio continued through clenched teeth, “And the city is impor--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Boss, it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>rude</span>
  </em>
  <span> to interrupt,” Gueira interrupted. His demeanor was suddenly sober and serious. “We were </span>
  <em>
    <span>worried</span>
  </em>
  <span> because you always pull this kinda shit, so we asked Heris to replicate a reversal of the sleep spell big enough for the whole city. It’s already ready, so don’t even argue, it’ll only take a spark transfer from you and everything will be back to normal, Claim-wise.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio’s fire vanished and he released the crystal to hover freely. Gaped at them as if they’d just said the ocean was dry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think the words you’re looking for start with ‘TH’ and end with ‘Q’.” Meis said, crossing his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Both Galo and Gueira asked at once. Lucia gave a “hah!” in the background.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A reluctant smile rippled through Lio’s lips before he propped his elbows on the table, rested his forehead on the back of his hands and murmured a sincere, “Thank you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ohhhhh, I get it!” Gueira smiled in delight. Then turned adoring eyes to Meis. “You are so smart.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are so hot,” Meis planted a kiss on him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo was practically bursting with sunlight as he beamed back into the crystal, voice relieved. “Seriously, thank you! You guys are the best!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meis only spared him a side eye. “Yes, we know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> the best, Meis,” Gueira crooned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meis nuzzled Gueira’s neck. “No, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> the best.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lucia.” Lio’s voice pleaded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ugh. Wine. Got it. See ya tomorrow!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The crystal popped like a bubble with an extra fizzle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio sighed, processing. Then leaned away a bit as he realized just how plastered Galo was to his side. And how intently Galo was studying him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We had dessert in Albiorix. And Psamathe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They were very sweet.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh-huh.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t try to make out with me, though.” Galo frowned and studied Lio intensely, finger to chin, leaning forward. “How much do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> need?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio gave him a dour look as he stood. “Sugar sensitivity is not a universal Fae thing. It’s a special condition and a long story. And that’s all I’m saying about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo leaned back, eyes wide. “I have so much to learn.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m glad you’ve finally realized this.” Lio smiled and began cleaning up their breakfast dishes with a few subtle gestures of magic. “We should head out. Take off that shirt.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo stood, leaning into Lio’s back and propping his chin on Lio’s shoulder, side-eying him. “So you </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> want me to strip.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio’s face flared. Galo grinned and looked at his ears, clearly delighted. Lio clapped his hands over them and huffed, “Haven’t you ever heard the stories about what happens if you take Faerie things that aren’t yours?” He turned and poked the large letters on Galo’s stomach, making Galo twitch away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio walked to the door and yanked it open as Galo chuckled and pulled off the shirt, tossing it on the bed behind him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think I’m sexy without my Matoi </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> without my shirt.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio glanced casually over his shoulder and boldly scanned Galo’s torso before meeting his eyes again. “I like my Labyrinth </span>
  <em>
    <span>hot</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” And walked out the door.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*****</p>
<p>Author’s note:</p>
<p>Bwahahahaha! “Discreet staycations”, eh, Lio? Taking innocent lil Galo to a love hotel… really… we see u… you deserve every moment of Galo’s corny flirting.</p>
<p>This chapter was fun to write. :D</p>
<p>And thank you again to contributing artist Shiori42!! You can find her very entertaining art on Twitter @ShioriAkaitsuki (https://twitter.com/ShioriAkaitsuki) and Instagram at Shiori42_art (https://www.instagram.com/shiori42_art). Sorry, I don't know why AO3 isn't letting me directly link things. :(</p>
<p>As always, I’m @akadoreengreene on Twitter (https://twitter.com/akadoreengreene).</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. As the Pain Sweeps Through</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which wedding bells become death knells, and Galo learns just how stupid his partner is.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Major thanks to Quetz and Aura for the beta support. &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>According to Galo, things were going very, very, VERY well, and it was largely thanks to Freeze Force.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were swarming the place now, like frantic ants. They had even taken to the skies again, scanning in their hover trucks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Which meant that Lio was holding his hand all the time with the excuse of maintaining a constant invisibility spell. Would a fire kiss have been better? For a moment, sure, but it would have been over much faster, so not really. And because they were being so actively hunted, all of Lio’s comments came in low, hushed tones that made them sound extra seductive and sent Galo’s toes curling and his stomach swirling and his mind wondering how many things they could do “invisibly” out in the open without getting caught.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then they began talking about their upcoming battle. Though there was a sober undercurrent to the topic, they couldn’t help but geek out about what they hoped their mech could do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hope it won’t restrict what I can do with wielding the fire itself,” Lio mused, punching their joined hands forward in a striking motion, face alive and fierce and hopelessly adorable. Galo considered that perhaps no one would have the will to fight Lio if he didn’t wear a mask into battle. Maybe that’s why he did it. Lio grinned up at Galo with a challenging fire in his eyes that made it so hard to wait for tomorrow’s partner battle. “I like being flexible--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>F-flexible Lio?!?!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Galo’s mental landscape exploded and every sentence after just made it worse.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“--Being able to use different moves and come from different angles. To experiment until I find just the right approach and then go </span>
  <em>
    <span>all in</span>
  </em>
  <span>, not holding back at all until we win!” Lio raised their hands high.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo’s mind was going wild running vivid glimpses of other activities Lio’s words could be describing, his own desire willing them into existence in his imagination despite his best efforts to keep his thoughts focused on reality as he listened to Lio. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Battle forgotten, now it was so hard to wait for an entirely different type of partnership.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why are you so red?” Lio demanded when Galo didn’t respond, poking a finger into his flushed cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Head in the game, Thymos! He’s not going to get </span>
  </em>
  <span>less</span>
  <em>
    <span> sexy and you have a world to save first</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Did it have to be first?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was drowning in roses.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Focus, dammit</span>
  </em>
  <span>!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shouldn’t have read Grandma’s book.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mech. Battle. Rescue. Sister. Say something to bring it back to normal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah, Lucia always makes tech that lets me try lots of different things in the field!” Galo asserted a little too loudly, forcing his thoughts into platonic territory with marginal success. He quickly lowered his voice as six Freeze Force soldiers came into view and Lio rose into a ready hover. He wound an arm around Lio’s waist and his hand went a little lower this time to rest on his hip. Lio raised an eyebrow at the bold move to new territory, but didn’t say anything as he drew his bow, and Galo continued quietly like nothing had happened. “I always like to have lots of options, too.” He felt Lio’s bodyheat seep through the leather into his hand, skewing his thoughts and pulling his voice a note lower. “Because I also like discovering new ways to win. It can be especially… satisfying.” Galo felt his face heat up again at his own behavior, even though he was sure Lio wasn’t picking up on the innuendo. He couldn’t help it. Lio made him bold and shy at the same time. Brave, but vulnerable. It was an addicting feeling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio just hummed at him and then murmured, “Make the call.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo smiled at the game invite and studied the approaching troop. “Sequential. Third from the left, far right, second from the left, third from the right, far left, second from the right.” As Lio’s eyes focused and he drew his first arrow, Galo leaned closer and whispered, “On the nose.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio spared only the faintest flick of a side eye at him, recognizing the challenge in doing them one at a time in precise spots in the rapidly shrinking window before they marched past and only presented their backs as targets. But it brought out the smile Galo had expected because he knew Lio loved a challenge.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Galo grinned because watching the King take wild, raw power and hone it, direct it with such accurate and forceful mastery sent his blood racing through his veins.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Lio fired off the last arrow to find its mark just in time, Galo squeezed him closer in victory, and they both watched in silent laughter as the group passed out of sight around a corner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think I’m going to miss all the free target practice once they’re gone,” Lio gave him a sassy, proud grin, basking for a moment in his own superiority.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure we’ll find other worthwhile things to do after we win,” he pulled Lio an inch closer, pressing a little more of their sides together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio got an inscrutable look as he propped his arm on top of Galo’s shoulder and let his bow dissipate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You mean against Kray?” Lio clarified.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The name certainly had a dampening effect, and Galo scrunched his brow in confusion. “Yes?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio began to look contemplative and troubled, and Galo wondered what he was missing. Did Lio not want the rest…?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What… does happen, exactly. When I win?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio blinked at him. “When </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> win?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, the Labyrinth.” Lio froze, so Galo rushed on, “I mean, how do I actually win and control the portal?” He flailed his free arm, drawing a rough circle shape in front of them, not really knowing what an interdimensional portal would look like. That part of winning was safe territory, though. He definitely felt like they were making progress in the wooing department, had never felt closer to Lio, but he could tell from Lio’s reaction that they weren’t quite at the marriage conversation yet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio just stared at him, giving nothing away. Then he seemed to come to a decision and nodded. “It would be good for you to know, should it come to that.” He looked resolute but like he was intentionally holding back doubt. It was a look that said </span>
  <em>
    <span>I trust you, please don’t hurt me</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It made Galo’s heart ache, so he reached down and took Lio’s hand, still keeping his other arm around him, and tried to look as reassuring as possible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio cleared his throat, then squeezed Galo’s hand as he spoke. “The seal of the Goblin King and Parnassus is inlaid into the floor of the throne room of Luna castle. You just need to step into its boundaries and the Labyrinth will recognize you as its winner. A portal to Centauri will appear and obey your will. Open or close.” Lio smiled but it didn’t put Galo at ease for some reason. “Fae game magic is as old as the Fae themselves. If you choose to seal the portal, Fae fire will recognize this as fully natural, so any fire Kray tries to apply to break it will simply reinforce it. His attack would be counterproductive.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds like… a good option!” Galo said with a little extra confidence, wanting Lio to know he was very much on board with this option and hoping to see a glimmer of the same in return.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mm.” Lio looked uncertainly at Galo.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo tilted his head slightly. Had he not shown Lio enough enthusiasm to reassure him of his interest, or was Lio still unhappy about the option himself? Surely… he didn’t still want to get rid of Galo, take his memories and cast him out forever? He couldn’t be imagining this spark between them...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo began running his thumb over the back of Lio’s hand. “It might be safer to do that, secure the portal, before taking on Kray, if we can find a way in.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio stiffened and his eyes widened in their stare, the colors shifting a bit as he clearly tried to restrain a broader reaction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio opened his mouth, but needed to take two measured breaths before he was able to speak. “You… think that’s best?” Lio pulled back his hand and held it to his chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo hated the withdrawal and uncertainty of the gesture, so he gently took Lio’s hand again, moved an inch closer. Hoping to show in serious expression and tone his earnest desire to protect Lio, especially against the enemy who had already hurt him so badly before. “We still don’t know what Kray’s real plan is. Just that he plans to use you to open the portal. I want to make sure that doesn’t happen.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So. Better to remove that risk.” Lio’s hand went limp in his, and his voice flattened. “It’s logical.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That reaction was </span>
  <em>
    <span>worse</span>
  </em>
  <span> than the retreat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You aren’t happy about the idea.” Galo called it, but couldn’t help the disappointment in his voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio gave him a smile that bordered on bitter. “I was the one who suggested it originally.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo frowned. That was not a complete answer, and Galo had learned he needed to listen for what Lio </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> saying. So he prodded for more and tried to steer it back to the positive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, I know it would mean… permanent changes--” Lio snorted at him in disbelief. “But there are good things about that, too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio gave him a blank look. Then for a moment, his eyes became uncannily sharp and clear. Impossibly knowing as he read Galo. Lio went rigid. “The Truth is… you </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to win the Labyrinth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo had thought that was obvious. How could Lio possibly mistake his interest?! Did he want to know </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> of Galo’s motivations, maybe? Full disclosure? Truth </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> important to him. “Uh, well, it would save Lucia, too, right? And defeat Kray, for sure, so he can’t try anything else sneaky. And... I </span>
  <em>
    <span>at least</span>
  </em>
  <span> want to keep remembering. I mean, I would… forget you if I lost, wouldn’t I?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo watched with dismay as Lio grew paler as Galo talked, then felt a spike of fear as Lio actually began to go gray, a defeated sadness settling in his eyes as Galo spoke of forgetting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. No matter what you do, I lose.” Then in a severity turned inward. “Fool. You knew that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Galo was getting desperate. How had things gone off the rails this badly?! “Would it really be so bad if I won?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo held his breath as Lio’s silence stretched on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess not.” Lio conceded, took back his hand again and dropped it with his gaze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Damn, why did he have to sound so miserable about it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo ran his hand through his hair, suddenly very nervous, realizing he’d brought them unavoidably to the point of admitting how they felt about the idea of getting married. And Lio seemed the opposite of enthusiastic at the prospect.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well. All in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A spark of hope rose to the surface of his heart and he held onto it. Maybe they just needed to clarify a few things, he was sure he could take the edge off Lio’s fear. After all, Lio didn’t seem to </span>
  <em>
    <span>hate</span>
  </em>
  <span> him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Best just to be sympathetic and direct. “I know why it’s difficult for you. I mean it’s… your life.” He watched Lio’s lips flatten into a line, saw the tension grip his neck and shoulders. “And I don’t want to do anything you don’t want but,” Deep breath. He tried to make his voice strong, but it came out more breathy than he would have liked as he asked again. “I mean, would it be so bad? It might actually be really… </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span>, if we give it a chance.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At the very moment he looked back up at Galo, Lio’s eyes split, gold and purple suddenly separate. Galo had never seen Lio’s eyes turn so opaque. Lio pulled out of his arm and landed just out of reach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It wouldn’t bother you?” Oh no, oh hell, he could hear the pain, and if Lio was trying this hard to hide it, it must be severe. “You want me to sacrifice myself? You think that would lead to a better future?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo winced as his heart hit the paving stones. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sacrifice</span>
  </em>
  <span> himself. Guess that answered that question.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still, he scraped his feelings up off the ground and tried again. Spread his hands in a ‘yes?’ gesture to Lio’s last question, because in Galo’s book forgetting Lio would definitely be a million times worse than rushing into marriage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio took a step back, swallowing. He said nothing, but he brought the heel of his hand to his chest, started rubbing against the healing wounds Galo knew were still sore, hidden beneath his shirt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dammit. Wasn’t there any way to look at this that Lio wouldn’t hate?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo took a deep breath. Clenched his fists. Focus on the brighter future. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I’d</span>
  </em>
  <span> like to stay together, but even if that's not what </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>…” Ugh, the words were hard to get out. And he didn’t want to make it sound like an accusation. “Even if we’re not actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>together</span>
  </em>
  <span>-together afterwards…” No! He didn’t want to give up hope. “...</span>
  <em>
    <span>at first</span>
  </em>
  <span>, it’d still be better overall. With Kray and the portal threat out of the way, humans and Burnish can work together. Life could be so much better if we worked across that barrier, we could try to find a solution to the Promare </span>
  <em>
    <span>together</span>
  </em>
  <span>. If I win, I’d get to keep my memories of you, of everything, and could help build that future…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio had turned ashen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah. You think you can lead this effort better without me.” Lio was looking beyond the present world. A shadow filled his eyes. “You can see it, too. It was foretold from the beginning. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span> the problem. If I’m out of the way, there is no more risk.” A dreadful tone of resignation overtook Lio’s voice as he slowly focused on Galo again. But this time, the heterochromatic eyes were the opposite of opaque. They were completely bared. Asking for a swift and final blow. “But why do you even need to remember me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What??” Galo felt the blood rush to his face as his frustration finally began to take over. “Because I care about you and don’t ever want to stop!” Why was Lio being so dumb when Galo was spelling everything out for him? “I want you in my life no matter what it looks like!” Why was Lio turning this confession into some big self-negative again? “What do you mean </span>
  <em>
    <span>without</span>
  </em>
  <span> you? Where would you go?” Why was Lio being so dramatic when them being together made so much simple sense?! “You’re not a problem! I wouldn’t set you aside or </span>
  <em>
    <span>restrict</span>
  </em>
  <span> you in any way.” The very idea nauseated Galo. As if he would keep Lio in a different kind of cage. Is that what he was worried about?! That Galo would have that kind of power over him? “I mean, I know I might be a lot to handle, but it’s not like being married to me would end you or, or keep you from anything you want to do. And I wouldn’t get in your way. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>promise</span>
  </em>
  <span>! I want to do everything </span>
  <em>
    <span>together</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio looked at him blankly, like he was speaking gibberish, like his words had no meaning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Married…?” Lio’s tone was completely uncomprehending. As if he was certain he had misheard and expected Galo to clarify.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Did… the Fae use a different term for it? “Uh, y’know,” Galo cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks heat up for a completely different reason now. “Whatever you call it, when two people… join lives… in permanent union…” Lio stared at him, eyes huge. “...as a family...” Galo trailed off. The burning had taken over his face and spilled down his neck to settle on his shoulders. It felt like he was proposing </span>
  <em>
    <span>right now</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Married?!” Lio instantly became so baffled and shocked and flustered that Galo immediately knew he had gotten it wrong. As incomprehensible as that seemed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s… that’s not the prize for winning the Labyrinth?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?! No!” Every visible part of Lio was red.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh.” That was great news, really. He should not feel so damn disappointed. But, what the hell!? “Then wha--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I die.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio stated the words direct and unflinching. Stood there still and alone on the path.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo stopped breathing as the world fell down around him. The brick walls, stone path, even the sky crystal lost their moorings and began tumbling into the sudden open space beneath him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Those two words made no sense to Galo. He stared at Lio and waited for something to </span>
  <em>
    <span>make sense</span>
  </em>
  <span> amid the chaos as the phrase echoed in his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I die</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The words were too calm to have their usual meaning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I die</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The words were too impossible to mean what they said. Unimaginable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I die</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They would destroy Galo.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I die</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They became viciously real, sinking in cold spikes, freezing his body until his mind snapped into icy clarity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Galo whispered, breath long gone. All the blood in his body seemed to have drained away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My life is forfeit. It kills me.” Lio explained like it was sad but not terrible. Like he accepted it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It couldn’t be real. “That’s not possible, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> suggested it--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio’s tone turned slightly defensive. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to protect my people.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All Galo’s blood returned and erupted like a volcano inside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“YOU’RE STUPID!” He yelled, took one large step forward and hauled Lio into his arms in horrified panic. Galo held Lio pinned to his chest, a foot off the ground. “What are we DOING walking towards the thing that will KILL you?! That’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>protecting</span>
  </em>
  <span> people!” He hastily turned around and started marching away from the center of the Labyrinth. With the roaring in his ears, he almost missed Lio’s next words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A relieved ache was clear in the tone, releasing deep pain. Galo protectively ran his hand up Lio's back and buried his fingers in his hair, wanting to scream at the thought that Lio had believed he would so callously </span>
  <em>
    <span>dispose</span>
  </em>
  <span> of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>No</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I thought it meant we’d get to stay together, not get separated forever!” The last part came out as more of a wail than a statement and Galo burst into tears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio pulled his arms out of Galo’s grasp. Galo tightened his hold with a cry, instinctively afraid that Lio would slip away, but stopped walking, stopped moving, stopped breathing when those arms instead wound around his neck. Lio dropped his face into the space between his arm and Galo’s throat and released a tremulous breath at the same time Galo felt Lio’s body melt into his.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Warm, so warm, let me burn alive if it feels like this</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After all the times Galo had wrapped his arms around Lio, Lio was finally </span>
  <em>
    <span>holding him back</span>
  </em>
  <span>, slender form shaking slightly as it molded into him. Galo sobbed again at the thought that he might have accidentally lost him forever. All because he’d once again assumed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was so relieved and terrified and relieved and--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’M ANGRY AT YOU!” Galo yelled, dropping into a seat in the middle of the path and holding Lio even tighter as he cried.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why??” He liked how Lio’s voice vibrated through their fused chests. He adored this stupid, </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid</span>
  </em>
  <span>--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hate how stupid you are!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How am I stupid??” Lio’s tone was indignant, but muffled against Galo’s neck as he kept his face buried there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo kept one arm firmly locked around Lio’s waist, but grasped Lio’s shoulder with the other so he could pull him back just enough to make furious eye contact. “You were-- you-- you were going to make me </span>
  <em>
    <span>kill you</span>
  </em>
  <span>!?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio looked devastated but confused, like he knew he’d done something wrong but couldn’t quite be certain what. “Just… as a last resort… I thought you knew… it- it wouldn’t really be you, it’s just the rules of the game--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“WE MAKE OUR OWN RULES!” Galo yelled at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, okay,” Lio murmured, bringing his hands up to wipe away the streams on Galo’s face. “Okay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Galo took a shaky breath and combed Lio’s bangs back from his face, resting their foreheads together. “We make our own rules.” He stated in a way that demanded a promise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio let his hands still on Galo’s cheeks. “Yes,” he murmured. “We make our own rules.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then Galo pulled him in tight and buried his face in the crook of Lio’s neck and held on for the next half hour. He even ignored the patrols, leaving it to Lio to magically manipulate them into giving a wide berth. And he didn’t hold back the tears that fear and a sense of loss demanded as toll. He let them roll down Lio’s neck and soak his shirt so Lio would know his intended actions would have cost more than just him.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*****</p>
<p>Author’s note:</p>
<p>I honestly have the worst consistency with tone, don’t I? XD Like, pure sexual innuendo transitioning into pure angst??</p>
<p>Dunno why you put up with it.</p>
<p>Should I post another chapter this weekend? It's super angsty.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Such a Sad Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Galo stops crying and Lio starts.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Joyous thanks to beta readers Aura and Quetz!</p>
<p>And to Shiori42 for once again contributing heartfelt visuals. ;_;</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They had almost reached Perdita, known for its orchards, apparently. Galo had agreed to proceed, but refused under any circumstances to go into the castle let alone the throne room once they got to Goblin City. Galo had kept his arm around Lio the whole rest of the afternoon, hand fitting just right on the slight curve between waist and hip. Lio, hovering close, had his arm across Galo’s back, hand resting on his shoulder. Giving him comforting pats anytime a watery look began to creep over his face again.</p>
<p>“You really thought we were getting married?”</p>
<p>Galo just pouted, sniffed through a stuffy nose, and nodded.</p>
<p>“I’m going to kill Gueira,” Lio growled. Then after a beat of silence, he flipped around in front of Galo, face to face, and blurted, “Did you <em> want </em> to marry me, or was it just something you thought you <em> had </em> to do to finish this?” Lio’s gaze was intense, colors wavering. His shoulders were bunched up closer to his (sexy) ears. He was holding his breath. His eyes went all super-keen again, and Galo once more felt like Lio could see right through to his core.</p>
<p>How in the world could Lio possibly have any doubts?? And ask for a <em> confession </em> after <em> everything </em>?! He was so stupid.</p>
<p>“You already told me it wasn’t real,” Galo insisted, pursing his lips stubbornly. “You can’t ask me something like that <em> now </em>!”</p>
<p>With a blink, Lio shifted from defense to confidence. “Oh look, I just did.” He grinned at Galo in impish joy. He positively shimmered in delight with whatever conclusion he had drawn from Galo’s response, verbal and otherwise. The rose aroma eagerly swirled around Galo like it couldn’t keep still.</p>
<p>Oh man. The Goblin King really <em> was </em> adorable when he was happy. It was impossible to stay angry.</p>
<p>Galo was actually relieved a forced marriage was off the table.</p>
<p>Because this infuriating Fae was definitely flirting with him.</p>
<p>Galo finally returned Lio’s smile with a grin of his own. He didn't need Lio to be some Labyrinth prize. Galo was winning his own way.</p>
<p>But…</p>
<p>Still good to know how things worked, now that he had to come at it a different way. And he was supremely DONE making assumptions and going in ignorant.</p>
<p>“So how do I win?” Galo gave Lio a squeeze to show what he meant.</p>
<p>Lio glowed with more than his signature colors, a rosy hue stealing over his skin.</p>
<p>“I can’t <em> tell </em> you that,” was all he offered, the subtle tone hinting at flirtatious challenge.</p>
<p>Galo wasn’t about to back down in the face of the enigmatic.</p>
<p>“I <em> mean </em> , how <em> do </em> Fae get married?”</p>
<p>Lio turned completely red now at Galo’s directness, and Galo could almost <em> see </em> him mustering his regal poise to counter it. <em> Adorable </em> didn’t even begin to describe it. Lio pursed his lips. “I’m not sure I <em> should </em> tell you that.”</p>
<p>Galo ran a tickling hand up Lio’s side, causing him to dart out of Galo’s arm with a burst of laughter. But he didn’t go far.</p>
<p>Galo crossed his arms. “Are you withholding the rules of engagement here? I thought that wasn’t allowed in Fae matters.”</p>
<p>Lio raised a single brow very slowly. Then made a dismissive gesture. “It’s very simple actually.” But he paused, undermining his own words. Lio looked down, almost shy, and tucked some hair behind his ear. (<em> Auuuuugh, so cute!) </em> “Elaborate ceremonies and weddings are the norm, but all that is <em> required </em> is the exchange of vows.”</p>
<p>Huh. That did sound simple. “Can they be anything?”</p>
<p>“Of course not!” Lio planted hands on hips. “Bindings are always specific. That’s what makes them powerful.”</p>
<p>“Powerful…” Galo mused, scratching his head in thought.</p>
<p>Lio nodded. “What’s more powerful than joining two lives?”</p>
<p>They both went silent as the weight of those words sank in. The theoretical shifted to very <em> real </em> as they gazed at each other. <em> Their </em> lives.</p>
<p>Lio blinked as Galo then continued without hesitation. “So what are the words?”</p>
<p>Lio managed to get even redder. “Well, one person says them, and the other repeats them back. And that’s that.”</p>
<p>Galo snorted. “You aren’t even pretending to answer the question anymore.”</p>
<p>“Well I made a big deal out of avoiding it already so it’ll be even more embarrassing to tell you now!” Lio blurted out, throwing his hands in the air and fully surrendering to the fluster.</p>
<p>Galo burst out laughing at the surprise candor. And just, happiness at getting to see different sides of Lio. He got the impression that there would be things to discover about him forever.</p>
<p>“That’s fine,” Galo grinned innocently and clapped a hand on Lio’s shoulder. “I’ll just ask <em> Gueira </em> tomorrow.” And walked around Lio, nonchalantly continuing on the path, locking his hands behind his head.</p>
<p>Grinning and expecting Lio to storm after him, Galo was surprised a few moments later when Lio’s words caught up to him instead, in a strong but quiet voice.</p>
<p>“I am yours…”</p>
<p>The phrase stunned Galo to a halt in his tracks.</p>
<p>He lowered his arms. Turned slowly around, his heart repeating the words with every beat, and locked eyes with Lio just as he turned to face him, too. Lio dropped from his hover and planted his feet on the ground. He seemed to be struggling with the next words more than the first.</p>
<p>“...and…” Lio clenched his fists. “...you are mi- mine.” Lio stopped breathing for a moment, eyes wide and afraid.</p>
<p>“I <em> am </em> yours.” Galo breathed, taking a step back towards him. And then in a questioning tone, “And you are m--”</p>
<p>Lio had flown into his face and slapped a hand over his mouth before Galo could blink. Galo had never seen him look so freaked out.</p>
<p>“Don’t <em> say </em> it right after me, you idiot! It’s a binding! It’s real and it’s permanent!” He looked like he wanted to strangle Galo. Instead he began a heated lecture about spell protocols and respecting the power of the fire and words and names and a bunch of other stuff Galo pretty much stopped paying attention to as he watched colors dance in Lio’s simmering eyes. </p>
<p>Galo was content to listen to the sound of his voice and continue default-kissing Lio’s palm for as long as he wanted to keep his hand there. Lio apparently felt Galo’s smile behind his hand, because he snatched it back and concluded his diatribe by ordering, “Take this seriously!”</p>
<p>“I <em> am </em>,” Galo said, still smiling but sincere. “That’s it? Just seven words?”</p>
<p>Lio nodded and ran his fingers through his hair and a hand down his cravat, trying to smooth any signs of discomposure. “Sometimes simple is best.”</p>
<p>Galo chuckled. “I’m not the best with memorizing the words to stuff, but I think I can remember this one.”</p>
<p>Lio stilled. The life drained from his face, and he seemed a bit unsteady as he hovered back a bit and created space. He kept his eyes trained on Galo but didn’t reply.</p>
<p>Galo sighed in exasperation at the change in mood, but he’d leap over as many hurdles as needed to get things straight between them. “It’s making you sad again.”</p>
<p>“You’d have to remember me.” Lio got a look that Galo realized was preemptive resignation, an acceptance of things he couldn’t have. “If you don’t win the Labyrinth, your memories…”</p>
<p>“I won’t forget you, even if I lose.” Galo knew this for certain. He wasn’t worried.</p>
<p>Lio’s eyes remained completely unconvinced. Galo continued.</p>
<p>“But if I did… would you come find me? Start over? Make new memories together?”</p>
<p>Lio was silent for a long time, eyes unreadable.</p>
<p>“I would want to.”</p>
<p>It was a desire rather than a promise. But it sent Galo’s heart soaring to know feelings went more than one way between them. He knew he’d never be able to forget Lio, he’d just have to show him. He offered his hand and Lio took it.</p>
<p>Entering the town redirected their attention to the task at hand. But Galo’s heart continued to fly as a lifetime with Lio seemed closer than ever.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>“Perdita peaches are something special,” Lio explained, holding up the fancy wooden box they had been given by the town’s mayor. “I can’t wait for you to try one.”</p>
<p>They had just awoken the town’s Burnish, finished another amazing pizza dinner, deep dish this time, and Lio had actually agreed to rest until morning at the town inn. They were walking up the stairs to the second floor, where the innkeeper had said they could have their pick of rooms. Lio was definitely looking forward to a nice, warm bath, hoping it would clear his conflicted mind. It was racing with all the implications of the day’s discoveries, and neither his heart nor his head seemed capable of keeping up with each other. He needed to figure out what to do about Galo. Because things had just gotten simpler… and a whole lot more complicated.</p>
<p>It wasn’t until Lio had chosen a room and confirmed that it did, indeed, have a very nice bathing room, that he realized Galo had been unusually quiet. He sent a questioning look over his shoulder and suddenly realized several things at once.</p>
<p>He was still holding Galo’s hand. There was no <em> practical </em>reason to, in a protected town.</p>
<p>He had chosen a room from many vacant ones, led Galo in without thought, and closed the door behind them. Implying they would share.</p>
<p>The room had one bed. Implying they would share.</p>
<p>And he had just started running a bath.</p>
<p>And Galo was looking at him with far, far too much vulnerable hope. Not the flirty, eager teasing from earlier in the day. This expression was honest and gentle and naked. And offering him all of Galo in a similar state.</p>
<p>Lio released Galo’s hand and pressed his fingertips to his lips in shock. He froze as a sick, sinking feeling twisted through his gut at his unintended cruelty in leading Galo on. Especially after the day they’d just had. Galo telling him he wanted to <em> marry </em> him. And he had made Galo <em> cry </em> in return.</p>
<p>He should just go along with it.</p>
<p>His heart sped up.</p>
<p>It’s not like he didn’t have his own desires… plenty of them, when it came to this endearing, tempting man...</p>
<p>Lio winced. The idea felt way too appealing, considering he knew how much <em> more </em> regret and guilt he’d feel afterward.</p>
<p>But Galo read him instantly.</p>
<p>The openness in his eyes remained, but it went from deep to shallow. He gave Lio a half smile and clapped his hands together.</p>
<p>“Looks like you’re all set here! I bet my room will be just as good,” Galo’s smile expanded and he turned, walking back to the suite’s exit.</p>
<p>Lio’s heart leapt to his throat as he took a couple stumbling steps back into the bedroom. “Wait.”</p>
<p>Galo stopped but didn’t turn. Lio didn’t continue. He didn’t know what he wanted to suggest, he just knew the idea of Galo walking out that door scared him.<em> Come back. Stay with me. </em> The words were there, but he knew he didn’t deserve to say them. Not when he was pretty sure he knew what he had to do tomorrow.</p>
<p>So Lio stood there, suspended between two worlds. Nowhere to land. Lost. As always.</p>
<p>Galo’s shoulders straightened and he placed his hand resolutely on the doorknob at the same time he turned to look at Lio, lips parted to say something. But the sound died when he saw Lio’s face.</p>
<p>Hand was off the handle and reaching for him as Galo melted into compassionate concern. “Hey now,” he spoke in a soothing tone as he pulled Lio into a solid hug.</p>
<p>And suddenly Lio belonged somewhere.</p>
<p>He pressed his face into Galo’s shoulder feeling wonderful and terrible at the same time.</p>
<p>“I don’t want to split up,” was all he could figure out to say. He tried to memorize the way Galo’s hands against his back made him feel completely safe and real.</p>
<p>“Me, neither,” Galo murmured. Lio felt him take two very deep breaths, then a note of reassuring cheer entered his voice as he held Lio slightly away. “Another slumber party it is!” Galo’s smile was genuine, and so generous. Then he steadily pushed Lio back through the bathroom doorway. Turned off the tap. “Looks like your bath is ready. Very refreshing! Take your time.” He began to pull the door closed, paused, and without looking directly at Lio, concluded more softly, “Let me know if you need anything.” Then the door was shut and Lio was left with a luxurious tub of steamy water and his fractured thoughts.</p>
<p>He let them tumble around without listening to them as he methodically undressed. He could have used magic to get it done instantly, but he didn’t.</p>
<p>He stood there naked for a moment, feeling like his body wasn’t his own. Stared at the marks that reminded him that for awhile, it hadn’t been. His body, his fire, his heart, his mind--had been held hostage, used to harm those he cared about.</p>
<p>Even though he had been warned.</p>
<p>Lio stepped into the tub as those tired old words chastised him.</p>
<p>
  <em> You will break the home you build, through love you will lose all. </em>
</p>
<p>He had even more to lose now.</p>
<p>It made him feel cold.</p>
<p>He sank into the water, up to his stinging throat. And as the cocooning warmth unwound his body, he began crying without knowing why. It felt like grief, deep and despairing, but the rest of him hadn’t caught up to it yet.</p>
<p>He couldn’t give himself long to indulge, watching those tears make ripples across the water. He couldn’t afford them. But they squeezed out under the weight trying to crush him. He braced himself and tried to bear it.</p>
<p>He needed…</p>
<p>He needed to...</p>
<p>He needed to plan. To figure out how to adjust his gameplay with the day’s new information. With the new <em> feelings </em>, he admitted to himself as he finally gave up and plunged under the water so it would take away the futile tears.</p>
<p>Why did they have to <em> feel </em> things when it could only lead to more pain? Lio pulled his knees to his chest, a tight ball of misery under the water. Why was stupid Galo so… easy to get attached to? And why in the world had Galo gotten attached to <em> him </em> when he’d offered nothing but disincentives?? Urgh, Galo’s capacity to care just made him that much more endearing which just made <em> Lio </em> care more, and it was a stupid, inevitable cycle of idiotic affection! Lio burst back up for air. Panting softly, he tried to master his frustration. This was pointless. Fine. There were feelings.</p>
<p>They changed all the rules.</p>
<p>So he had to do what Galo said and make his own.</p>
<p>Galo was the cause of the change in plans, so that’s where the plans needed to change.</p>
<p>Lio leaned his head back on the edge of the tub and stared at the ceiling. He didn’t have many axioms, but one thing he knew for certain: when you find something as precious as Galo Thymos, you have to protect it. And leading Galo into the center of a conflict that wasn’t his, to face a monster who had harmed him his whole life, was the <em> opposite </em> of protecting.</p>
<p>He knew Galo felt responsible for the Burnish plight, but that was only because he had been manipulated. Neither the cause nor conflict were his, and he’d already lost so much to them. The water began to steam as Lio thought once again of the way Kray had convinced Galo those losses were somehow <em> his </em> fault. But anger was unhelpful, so he tamped it down. Focused on what must be done.</p>
<p>Lio didn’t <em> need </em> Galo to pilot the mech. Although, given how well they synced physically and mentally, the thought had continuously grown more appealing. But the main reason he’d initially agreed to Galo’s partnership was because he had thought it would be a way for Galo to regain agency. To face his Monster and find closure. And, Lio admitted, it had felt really comforting to know he wouldn’t have to face this fight alone. Galo gave him courage.</p>
<p>But now Lio had seen the damage Kray had done to this pure soul, and the idea of Galo being exposed to that cruelty further turned his stomach. Lio flicked the surface of the water in irritation. He knew what it was like to have to go up against someone you had thought you loved. Someone you thought was family.</p>
<p>And the only other reason he’d brought Galo was to end Lio. He had pretended it was only a last resort, but there was a conviction that kept sinking roots deeper with every step they moved forward, a belief that the prophecy was determined to be fulfilled <em> now </em>. It had haunted him his whole life, a lurking darkness. But now it was breathing down his neck. Kray’s capture of the Labyrinth and the Burnish were a blindingly obvious calling card as fate prepared to pay a visit at last. That looming shadow from above. Expanding so fast and dark around him now, impact was imminent, ready to wipe out everything close by, everything he cared about. He had no excuse not to see it coming. And the only defense he had against something inevitable like that was to direct its aim, before it got there. Make it land where and when it did the least harm.</p>
<p>Make it happen on his own terms.</p>
<p>His own rules.</p>
<p>He was almost done transferring the bond fire to the Burnish, preparing in one move to break his Claim on the Labyrinth so he didn’t break their home. Shove them far out of the range of impact.</p>
<p>And because he loved them, he would lose. On purpose. Fulfill the prophecy. Officially. Let the blow fall at the right time so it was no longer a threat to anyone.</p>
<p>All Galo had to do was win.</p>
<p>
  <em> I thought it meant we’d get to stay together, not get separated forever! </em>
</p>
<p>Lio squeezed his eyes shut as fresh tears rolled down his face.</p>
<p>He couldn’t do it.</p>
<p>He had tried not to look too deeply, but all it had taken was a glance in Galo’s eyes to see the stunning Truth. Galo <em> cared </em> for him.</p>
<p>Lio’s tears fell faster, and they wouldn’t listen to him at all anymore. So he let the sound of their plinks on the water keep his thoughts focused.</p>
<p>He hadn’t dared look harder into Galo’s Truth to see if it was love, to see if it would meet the prophecy’s requirement even more perfectly than he had planned. Because the great contradiction of love itself made it a moot point. <em> Because </em> of this connection between them… he couldn’t use it.</p>
<p>What a stupid oversight in his plan.</p>
<p>The very thing that would best qualify Galo to end him made him impossible to use in that way. It would destroy Galo to destroy Lio. He could still feel Galo’s tears burning his neck. Galo’s happiness was definitely not a sacrifice Lio was willing to make.</p>
<p>So. He had to “lose all” a different way. He had to let Galo go.</p>
<p>That would definitely… <em> definitely </em> count as losing.</p>
<p>His mind went silent as the feeling driving his tears took over, wedging in his throat, insisting on being heard. But he silenced it, only letting it speak in the faster plips against the water as his shoulders shook and he drew up his knees. Rode the wave out and then tried to look for a glimmer that would show him the way to the surface again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Image artist <a>Shiori42</a></em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At least… at least Galo would come out of it unscathed. What he couldn’t remember couldn’t hurt him.</p>
<p>Okay.</p>
<p>The Burnish. Parnassus. Galo. That was everything he had. That was “all”.</p>
<p>Losing his life would have hurt less. But there was solace in knowing everyone would be alright. He hoped the Burnish would feel the same way, knowing that Lio would be alright, too, even if he couldn’t be with them. Maybe there was a way to help them forget him, too...</p>
<p>Everyone would finally be safe. And he would finally truly be alone. As it should be.</p>
<p>In two days, it would all be done.</p>
<p>Everything was now set up to allow the Burnish to defend their home. To expel the invaders.</p>
<p>All that was left before Lio left was protecting Galo and destroying the threat that was Kray Foresight. In that order.</p>
<p>It was always more important to protect someone good than destroy someone bad. Galo really was good. It’s why Kray had been able to target him in the first place. Manipulate him. Ruin his life. Break his heart.</p>
<p>Galo deserved a much better fate.</p>
<p>So Lio would make sure he got it.</p>
<p>He plunged under one more time, willing the tears and the soul-deep ache out of his body into the water. Then he rose in one smooth motion and stepped out, wrapping resolution around himself more tightly than the towel.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>Lio landed very gently on the bed beside a sleeping Galo. The unconscious man was sprawled on exactly half of the available surface, and Lio wondered how he made even drooling look adorable. Galo didn’t wake up, but Lio noticed he looked troubled.</p>
<p>Lio hesitantly reached for the instinct he had only recently discovered, an awareness of his own Aromata. He couldn’t pick up the scent himself, didn’t really understand how to use it, but he could kind of… feel it. Most of the time, he was unaware of it, like the blood pumping through his veins, but when he did notice, it was because he would suddenly realize Galo was drawing on it. It seemed to be something that existed for Galo’s use. But Lio had heard that it could be used by the source for comfort… and other things. Lio focused strictly on feelings of comfort, a desire to soothe, as he blindly reached for the feeling he had come to identify as Aromata. He was just starting to apply intention to it when Galo visibly went limp, like all the tension in his muscles had loosened at once. His face smoothed to a calm peace. It had taken… very little effort.</p>
<p>Lio pressed his lips together, determined not to experiment with other potential uses. Comfort, calm, soothing...</p>
<p>He reached out and combed his fingers through Galo’s hair, enjoying a sense of uncomplicated contentment within the moment. Amazing how you could feel happy watching someone who wasn’t even moving.</p>
<p>In a strange contrast to recent days, Lio felt <em> too </em> full of fire. All burning inside his heart. Demanding to rejoin with this beautiful inferno of a soul beside him.</p>
<p>Sweet. Kind. Brave. Selfless. Insightful. Shining bright as the sun with hope.</p>
<p>“The sun is a star,” Lio murmured. “Maybe I should try wishing on <em> you </em>. How would I do it...”</p>
<p>Lio’s hand stilled, woven through blue strands.</p>
<p>Galo was also… a uniquely attractive man.</p>
<p>Lio stared at him, heartbeats growing loud in the silence of the night. The moon he had hung in the sky for Galo shone through the window, its cool light caressing his toned physique. Like Lio wanted to. Something that beautiful and warm <em> needed </em> to be touched, appreciated. The moonglow reminded Lio of that heady sight, Galo filled with Lio’s fire until it shone from within, the way Galo had made it his own, <em> their </em> own. The way the fire felt more complete to Lio than when it was just his alone. His <em> soul </em> had companionship.</p>
<p>He had shared his fire with many, but it had never felt like that.</p>
<p>It made Lio want to try things with Galo he had never dreamed of trying with anyone else. Had never <em> wanted </em> with anyone else. Things that would enrich the pages of Grandma’s guestbook.</p>
<p>Lio found himself seriously considering it again. Galo was right there in all his enticing, deliciously solid presence. And Galo had <em> wanted </em> , too. He was pretty sure Galo wouldn’t mind if Lio woke him up for a deeply physical kind of game. An eager thrill flickered through Lio at the knowledge that he could <em> have </em> Galo. Not forever, but… for tonight. There was no reason not to, right? And so many reasons to touch, to bond, to memorize while he could. After all, loving and leaving Galo wouldn’t hurt Galo if he didn’t remember afterwards.</p>
<p>There were things Lio wanted to experience, only with this person, and this was his only chance. </p>
<p>Cruel irony, once more.</p>
<p>Making love with Galo Thymos in this single opportunity, without him really understanding, would be like having an intentional one night stand with someone who thought they were going to marry you. Letting Galo think it was real, only because Lio knew he had an undo button.</p>
<p>It would be a lie.</p>
<p>Revulsion curled in Lio’s stomach.</p>
<p>He could never do something so horrible to Galo.</p>
<p>Lio quickly drew back his hand and turned away from the haunting sight of Galo’s innocent sleeping face. Lay down, curled in a ball facing the edge of the bed, too miserable to actually rest.</p>
<p>He heard a sleepy huff, and then an arm was around his middle, pulling him into a snug spoon against the very body he was trying to resist. Strong calves slid entwining between his ankles. A nose buried in his hair with a long inhale and a contented sigh. Lio’s mind was just a blank, high-pitched noise as he tried not to register how it felt (so nice).</p>
<p>Until he realized, Galo’s breathing resumed slow and steady. He was still asleep. Galo’s chest, pressed against his back, expanded... and fell... expanded... and fell... expanded... and--</p>
<p>Lio hazily noted that his eyelids had grown heavy just as they slipped closed. That his own breathing had slowed and synced with Galo’s. That his body was melted, formless. And then he had no more thoughts at all.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>
  <em>Haha, when she showed me the pics, I told Shiori that Galo needed to wrap Lio in a towel and give him a kiss, and she delighted me:</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <em>*dies*</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*****</p>
<p>Author’s note: </p>
<p>Poor Lio. He’s so messed up. Doesn’t even know how to be loved. Galo, sorry, you need to show him.</p>
<p>If you’ve watched Labyrinth, you probably know what’s coming. And you probably know how Lio is going to do it.</p>
<p>Yup.</p>
<p>That’s exactly it.</p>
<p>And yes, we’ll get a masquerade ball out of it and everything. ;)</p>
<p>I kind of want to see Galo in Sarah’s iconic dress. XD</p>
<p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nBjvElCzAw</p>
<p>The artist who just crushed your heart is on Twitter <a>@ShioriAkaitsuki</a> and Instagram at <a>Shiori42_art</a>.</p>
<p>Author: <a>@akadoreengreene</a> on Twitter.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Lost and Lonely</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Lio finds it very inconvenient that Fae can’t lie, and Galo figures out many truths… but not the one that will save him.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lio was smiling almost nonstop this morning, and it was making Galo nervous.</p>
<p>It started as soon as Galo woke up to the feeling of Lio slipping out of his arms. His fingers curled slightly in protest and a tiny moan expressed his regret. Galo loved the mornings when <em> he </em> woke up first, arms full of warmth, able to look at Lio’s face relaxed and peaceful. Soft, shining loveliness, finally free of the sorrow that seemed to haunt it in waking. A sight he guessed very few people were privileged to see. It required significant trust.</p>
<p>That moment had always felt so intimate. His. To hold and cherish and protect.</p>
<p>But no matter, tomorrow was another chance. He blinked his eyes open and Lio was not far. Galo stretched out to his toes and fingertips, the last of the blanket coverage falling aside, then settled his arms behind his head, smiling and saying a cheerful, if sleepy, “Good morning” up at Lio, who stood stock still beside the bed watching him.</p>
<p>Lio stared at him with no expression for a solid five seconds. There was the faintest twitch high on his cheek and his eyes darkened slightly as they traveled. Then his back stiffened and his eyes snapped back to meet Galo’s. And Lio smiled back. Galo wasn’t sure why, but he felt a bit unsettled by that smile.</p>
<p>“Yes, good morning.” Lio picked up the small box of peaches and made it vanish as he added more quietly, “I certainly hope it will be.”</p>
<p>Galo dismissed his sense of uncertainty as Lio reached out a hand and helped him off the bed, giving his back a pat that lingered just a bit into a downward stroke at the end, before Lio jerked his hand back and secured it clenched behind his own waist, eyes diverting but smile fixed and unwavering. Galo raised a brow, took a casual step forward into Lio’s line of sight and experimentally made a show of stretching out his shoulders, lifting his arms high and shifting a few inches closer so anything Lio might want to touch was invitingly within reach.</p>
<p>Lio closed his eyes, smile turning strained for some reason. But sadly didn’t accept Galo’s gesture of invitation. Lio locked his fingers behind his back and cleared his throat before opening his eyes and quickly stepping around Galo to get closer to the door. “We have quite a ways to go this morning.” He looked over his shoulder at Galo. “You can sleep more later.” Lio’s smile never faltered. It was almost like a shield. The disturbing feeling came back double.</p>
<p>Throughout breakfast and their departure from town, Lio’s perfectly happy expression continued and so did Galo’s unease.</p>
<p>Despite yesterday’s turmoil and the additional intensity that had arisen between them as a result, today Lio was being very, very calm. There was nothing unwelcoming about his serene smile, but it created a strange distance Galo didn’t know how to interpret. The air between them would no longer hold a charge. It was dampened like the heavy, humid, still air right before a storm, all unfulfilled potential. Galo suspected the electricity was being wilfully grounded.</p>
<p>As they left town, Lio hovered smoothly beside Galo, rather than walking in step with him. The earnest energy Galo had learned to see in every subtle movement Lio made was replaced with a blanket of perfect poise.</p>
<p>He was much more the Goblin King Galo had first met than the Lio he had come to know.</p>
<p>Galo was incredibly relieved when he reached for Lio’s hand and Lio readily held it in his own. Didn’t let go.</p>
<p>Just smiled with perfect composure.</p>
<p>No, this was worse than his Goblin King face. It was actually the opposite, Galo realized, as he finally identified what was wrong.</p>
<p>Before, Lio didn’t smile anywhere but his eyes.</p>
<p>Now he was smiling everywhere but.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong?” Galo asked point blank. Not because he really expected Lio to tell him something he was obviously trying to cover up, but because what Lio chose to not-lie would tell him something.</p>
<p>Sure enough, Lio didn’t say “nothing”. It would have been a lie. He said the next most predictable deflection.</p>
<p>“What makes you think something is wrong?”</p>
<p>Galo rolled his eyes hard.</p>
<p>“That unoriginal answer, for one.”</p>
<p>Ah! The smile dropped and there was the faintest glimmer of a spark in the glance Lio shot him. Maybe just annoyance at the confrontation, but at least it was <em> something </em>.</p>
<p>“I’m…” Lio began. Galo could see him search for something true. It was interesting, because he had seen Lio <em> say </em> he was fine before, even if he wasn’t, if he himself believed it. If Lio didn’t think whatever was wrong with him was a big deal. So the fact he couldn’t insist such a thing now meant he knew he wasn’t fine. He hadn’t been able to fool himself.</p>
<p>Galo’s concern deepened.</p>
<p>“I’m tired,” Lio said, and Galo was sure he didn’t mean sleepy. Lio’s fake smile hadn’t returned, and Galo could almost feel the weariness in his soul.</p>
<p>“Do you want me to hold you?” Galo turned a little more towards him as he walked, spreading his arms in invitation.</p>
<p>Lio opened his mouth for a quick dismissal, but no sound came out. He couldn’t deny it.</p>
<p>It was all the confirmation Galo needed as he stopped and let his arms once more find their favorite spot, embracing Lio.</p>
<p>Lio raised a hand in a half-hearted attempt to resist, but then let it and his cheek rest against Galo's chest. And he just stayed there, letting his body weight lean slightly into Galo.</p>
<p>“I didn’t ask you to.” Lio murmured, but there was no fight in his voice.</p>
<p>“You didn’t need to.” Galo reassured, just as quietly.</p>
<p>“You shouldn’t be so nice to me.”</p>
<p>“I want to. It makes me happy.”</p>
<p>“You’re too damn kind. It makes things difficult.” There was a disgruntled tone finally coloring Lio’s voice and Galo raised his brows but kept his arms firmly in place.</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t be a very suitable challenger if I didn’t make things difficult for you,” Galo teased. “Besides… if kindness makes <em> things </em> difficult, maybe those are things you shouldn’t be doing anyway.”</p>
<p>Lio didn’t say anything.</p>
<p>Well that wasn’t going to get them anywhere.</p>
<p>“Lio,” Galo began seriously, pulling him slightly away from his chest to make eye contact. “Is the thing that you’re having difficulty with… <em> resisting me </em>?” He smirked at Lio in exaggerated seduction, excited to see what flustered denial Lio would come up with.</p>
<p>Lio stared at him with the appropriate amount of opened-mouthed, red-faced, indignant scandal.</p>
<p>But no words of denial.</p>
<p>Wait… <em> wait </em>...</p>
<p>“No, really?” Galo’s smile vanished in genuine shock.</p>
<p>“SHUT UP!” Lio’s composure shattered entirely as he pushed himself out of Galo’s arms.</p>
<p>“You <em> like </em> me??” Galo asked, all honest eagerness as he pointed a finger at himself.</p>
<p>“I HATE... that you…” Galo watched in fascination as Lio seemed to furiously cycle through options in his mind, unable to find one that was true enough to finish his sentence.</p>
<p>Lio got redder as his struggle further exposed the truth and Galo grew more stunned.</p>
<p>A feeling of pure joy bloomed in Galo’s chest and grew to take over his whole face.</p>
<p>“I hate that you’re making me have this conversation,” Lio finished, voice almost teary, a new kind of desperation setting in as he looked at Galo’s expression.</p>
<p>Galo decided to let him off the hook. He’d already gained the truth, and it was so much more than he’d hoped for.</p>
<p>Lio didn’t hate him. Lio <em> liked </em> him.</p>
<p><em> I knew it! </em> But he felt too much relief for <em> that </em> to be entirely true, either.</p>
<p>Galo grabbed Lio’s hand and began walking forward again, even though he could swear his feet weren’t touching the ground anymore.</p>
<p>“For what it’s worth, you don’t need to wear yourself out resisting. I gave up on that a long time ago.”</p>
<p>Lio snorted. “Resisting yourself?”</p>
<p>“Nah. There’s this cranky ol’ King I’m kind of wild about. He smells weird and steals my clothes and always shows off to get my attention."</p>
<p>Silence. The hand holding his squeezed tighter. Then, “He sounds terrible.”</p>
<p>Galo chuckled. “He’s an idiot, but… so am I.”</p>
<p>Lio was silent again, and Galo resisted the urge to look back at his reaction. He’d embarrassed Lio enough, he could give him a little privacy to regain his dignity.</p>
<p>They entered the Lost Woods with Galo beaming and leading the way.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>The Lost Woods were beautiful and mysterious and tricky and AMAZING. Galo couldn’t stop looking around, sure he would catch glimpses of mysterious creatures if he was fast enough.</p>
<p>From far away, it had looked like a narrow band of low trees. But this was a proper forest, and many of the trees towered as tall as redwoods. Taller, perhaps, and with greater variety. He saw what he was sure were dwellings that had somehow grown into the trees at different levels.</p>
<p>A thousand paths appeared and disappeared with every glimpse through the boles, calling his adventurous soul. The light of flames flickered in the distance, but faded the longer he looked at them. Wisps of fire in every color drifted between trunks and treetops, and he could <em> hear </em> them. It was like they were talking without words, in pure tones. Perhaps, if he hadn’t been holding Lio’s hand, it all would have seemed haunting. But connected with the King, he could sense the way everything was interwoven, how life and magic were one and the same here. The woods reassured only so it could surprise, the place itself had presence and personality, just like the Labyrinth.</p>
<p>He was so lucky to be here, seeing it.</p>
<p>“What lives in here?” he asked Lio, who had been reserved but somewhat more normal since their conversation. Perhaps if Galo knew what he was looking for, he’d be able to see the woods’ occupants.</p>
<p>“For better or worse, the Lost Woods are where most of the less humanoid Fae make their home,” Lio spoke quietly, clearly trying to keep his words for Galo alone.</p>
<p>Galo <em> had </em> been surprised that he’d only encountered a couple such creatures in the Labyrinth itself. And they had been trying to kill him for skipping puzzles.</p>
<p>“They don't live among the Burnish?”</p>
<p>Lio’s expression and tone turned highly diplomatic. “Ah… different Fae peoples have different preferences for formalized urban living, and most of them have a low tolerance for the human influence.” Lio cleared his throat and simplified. “It was not a universally popular idea to take in all the humans who turned Burnish.” Lio gave him a look of warning and tightened his hand. “So stay close, many will be only too keen to do mischief to a flameless human who has the nerve to enter their free forest.”</p>
<p>“Aww…” Galo pouted as he saw three more intriguing paths through the trees.</p>
<p>Lio gestured to their surroundings. “This stretch between Perdita and the Southern Gate is Chilly Down, run by the Fire Gang, so we should be alright.”</p>
<p>“Fire Gang?”</p>
<p>“The name is a bit misleading,” Lio gave him a small, wry smile. “They’re not combative or territorial, exactly, and <em> definitely </em> not organized. Back when the Above flares started, we had a…” Lio pursed his lips for a moment, brows high. There was a twitch under his eye. “... <em> discussion </em> here in Parnassus about what to call our half-Fae rescue squads. Mad Burnish won, but these guys had suggested Fire Gang and liked it so much they took the name themselves after it was rejected.”</p>
<p>Galo grinned, trying to imagine that <em> discussion </em>. “I like it, it says exactly what it is. Mad Burnish sounds kinda--”</p>
<p>Lio slapped Galo’s arm, growing a little more animated. “I know, but don’t say anything! You already launched pizza wars, do NOT rekindle the Naming conflicts.”</p>
<p>Enjoying the ripple in the placid surface of Lio’s composure, the sliver of exasperated sarcasm, Galo decided to do everything he could to disturb those waters further. Because even the remnants of Pristine Lio Fotia were creepy.</p>
<p>“Why are you being so negative!” He pouted and poked Lio’s cheek in a way he hoped was unavoidably annoying. “They’re not pizza wars, they're obviously delicious side quests.” When all he got from Lio was a glare that was growing milder by the moment, Galo leaned into Lio’s space with a gleaming smile and a thumb pointed at himself. “But I’m the <em> main course </em>.”</p>
<p>Lio’s face bloomed into glorious color and he gave Galo an appropriately aghast look for the cringeworthy innuendo.</p>
<p>
  <em> Score! Heh heh, cheesy like a pizza... </em>
</p>
<p>“Nice o’you t’introduce y’self b’fore we have t’ask, Main Course.”</p>
<p>Galo gave a little shout as a disembodied head of <em> something </em> floated by his shoulder.</p>
<p>He jumped as another popped up on his other side. “Very p’lite.”</p>
<p>Galo spun around noticing they were surrounded by about five extraordinary non-human people. No wait, seven. It was hard to tell considering not all their heads were attached to their bodies and some of their limbs seemed to be floating randomly around them. They were… furry and gangly and knobbly, unclothed, between 4-5 feet tall, with faces somewhere between a fox and a bird and something unnerving. Four long, spindly fingers formed each hand that was casually batting around their heads like beach balls. Wide, unblinking eyes were trained on him intently, long ears and tails casually waving, and their smiles seemed both friendly and dangerous.</p>
<p>Galo glanced at Lio for a cue. Lio was technically very composed, but his eyes were glowing gold in wicked delight. The laughter was back in them.</p>
<p>“Let me introduce you to the flagrants of the <em> mighty </em> Fire Gang, <em> Main Course </em> .” Lio gestured regally to the gathered Fae and indicated the trees, where Galo noticed more of their strange audience peering down at him. “They take names <em> very </em> seriously. Introducing yourself under a false name would be <em> unthinkably </em> rude.”</p>
<p>A head floated by. “Who would do a’thing like that, Boss?”</p>
<p>Then comments began ping-ponging from all directions as Galo whipped around trying to figure out which hovering face was speaking.</p>
<p>“We don’t like l’yars.”</p>
<p>“We'd take th'head, maybe a’hand or three, as justin pays.”</p>
<p>“But you got a’real p'lite one here, Boss, so is all fine as wine.”</p>
<p>“Main Course. Good name, sounds importins.”</p>
<p>“Must be importins, he’s hang-in wi'Boss.</p>
<p>“But he’s a’mundane.”</p>
<p>“Yeh, why’d you bring a‘mundy, Boss?”</p>
<p>Lio clasped his hands behind his back and gave them a knowing nod. “He’s helping with our <em> infestation </em> problem.”</p>
<p>The flagrants began whispering among themselves, their floaty movements growing more agitated. Then heads and limbs were all locked back in place on their various bodies and expressions grew serious.</p>
<p>“The metal men.” Yup, Galo definitely detected some loathing there.</p>
<p>“When they walk-in in our trees, we wisp-er and call-in them down other paths and then leave them sleep-in a’long times.”</p>
<p>Lio smiled at them and they all visibly perked up. “Excellent, thank you for your help. I’m grateful that Chilly Down is in such capable hands.”</p>
<p>Heads came off shoulders and began flying around even more than before as the flagrants danced around in disembodied delight.</p>
<p>“You can count on’us, Boss!”</p>
<p>“Happy t’help, happy t’help. And we have help-needs, too.”</p>
<p>“Yeh, speak-in of investrations, you got t’do things about those brownies, Boss!”</p>
<p>“They keep clean-in what’s ours!”</p>
<p>“We like all th’dirt and piles and grubb-ins, they shouldn’t touch-up all our noth-ins!”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Galo jumped in with a smirk at Lio, “Those pesky <em> brownies </em> are too proactive. They’ll take the shirt right off your back.”</p>
<p>“Right, Main Course, right?! Too pro-tiv.”</p>
<p>“MC gets it, man.”</p>
<p>Lio actually snorted, then laughed and the flagrants joined him--and a whole host of other things if the sounds echoing through the trees were anything to go by. Galo tried to look everywhere at once and follow the sounds, to no avail. The laughter was over as quickly as it had begun, and Lio raised one hand in a palm-up gesture as he addressed the flagrants. “Just change how they see your, ah, collections. Claim it as art. Label it with your name, like an artist.”</p>
<p>“We can’t lie, yo!”</p>
<p>Galo grinned at Lio, and continued the clever idea. “It’s not a <em> lie </em> .” He faced the group. “It <em> is </em> your creative expression, isn’t it?” Galo took a solid stance and flung his hand forward in a confident pose. “Take pride in it!”</p>
<p>As the flagrants started hollering in excitement and approval, Galo looked to Lio for confirmation and his heart skid to a stop. Lio’s eyes <em> smouldered </em> at him and <em> promised </em> to do things to him, before the King mask slipped firmly back in place. Galo felt like he’d just survived a seductive explosion and his ears were still ringing.</p>
<p>“Yeeeeeeh, it’s our art! We’re artrists!”</p>
<p>A random head landed on Galo’s shoulder, snapping him out of it. A floating hand began stroking his hair. “You got th’good head o’your sh’lders.”</p>
<p>“Give it to us, and we'll let you pass our Chilly Downs.”</p>
<p>The hand on his head grabbed a bunch of hair and tugged. The flagrants looked puzzled for a moment when his head didn’t pop easily off. The hand pulled harder as Galo yelped.</p>
<p>Lio finally stepped in, looking amused. He leaned slightly into Galo and planted his hand on Galo’s chest, smiling at the flagrants. “Sorry, guys, he belongs to me. And I like him <em> exactly </em> as he is.” He patted Galo’s head still on his shoulders.</p>
<p>Lio kept his sardonic smile and didn’t seem to register anything unusual as he watched the Fire Gang process this. But Galo’s heart was beating so hard he couldn’t breath. For once, he was truly speechless.</p>
<p>“S’all good, Boss, we got th’glads you b’ing happy, too.”</p>
<p>“Yeh, Boss is hav-in smil-ins!</p>
<p>“Cuz he’s got a Main Course, all parts.” The hand patted Galo’s head for emphasis then sped off.</p>
<p>“Yeh, no more appeteasing.”</p>
<p>Lio began to turn pink, and hastily interjected. “Thank you for your Hospitality.” He summoned a peach to his hand and held it out to them as a consolation gift. “We wish you fare well as we continue on our way.”</p>
<p>The flagrants immediately grabbed the peach and began passing it around, arguing about whether to eat the fruit or create a new piece of art with this King’s gift.</p>
<p>Lio tugged Galo’s hand and tilted his head forward, signalling they should continue. Galo followed, still stunned as Lio’s casual words crowded his mind with their meaning. He cast a final look over his shoulder at the gang. Apparently the loser of the argument was the hungry one who had wanted to eat the peach. He called back out to Lio with a lick of his lips.</p>
<p>“But you let us know f’you have any difficultries f’nish-in your Main Course off, Boss, yeh?”</p>
<p>Galo burst out laughing as Lio imitated a tomato. “I think Lio can handle that <em> just </em> fine! Thanks!” He waved back at them and received a variety of strange but friendly salutes.</p>
<p>Galo continued to laugh and the joy doubled as Lio actually released his embarrassment and joined him, the merry sound ringing between the trees. Their leaves rustled without wind, the Fae King’s jubilation once more extending to the life around him.</p>
<p>Everything seemed so surreal. Galo’s laughter finally quieted as he stared up at the shimmering treetops, feeling too small to contain everything inside him right now.</p>
<p>“You can’t lie.” Galo softly mused.</p>
<p>Lio faintly rolled his eyes. “Glad you enjoy stating the obvious so much.”</p>
<p>“You said… I belong to you.”</p>
<p>Lio fell silent, but Galo saw his eyes widen. Lio’s eyes shifted quickly back and forth as he seemed to review his own memory.</p>
<p>“And you like me.”</p>
<p>Lio stopped walking and paled.</p>
<p>“Exactly as I am.”</p>
<p>Lio’s whole face was tight as he finally looked at Galo. He flinched back at Galo’s expression and dropped his hand. Then spoke in a hoarse voice.</p>
<p>“...Don’t look at me like that.”</p>
<p>He turned and took several swift steps away from Galo. Planted one hand on his hip and rested his forehead on the other, fingers twisting in his hair as he stared at the ground.</p>
<p>Galo only gave him a couple seconds before he strode up and wrapped his arms around Lio from behind. He rested his cheek on a soft cloud of hair.</p>
<p>“I <em> am </em> looking at you like that, even if you turn away and refuse to see it.”</p>
<p>Lio placed a hand on his arm. Fingers hesitating. Then tightening.</p>
<p>Galo held his breath.</p>
<p>And then his stomach rumbled.</p>
<p>Lio’s hand dropped away and Galo internally cursed his healthy appetite.</p>
<p>“It’s nothing,” Galo insisted, stubbornly tightening his arms.</p>
<p>“It’s a sign.” Lio sounded angry, but it wasn’t directed at Galo. “And I can’t keep willfully ignoring them.” Then his vehement tone turned into a whisper. “I’m being selfish.”</p>
<p>“Liooooo, my stomach is not <em> fortelling </em> anything except whether a pizza’s in my future.” He let go and began to ruffle both hands through Lio’s hair in annoyance. “Stop ruining the moment and making this so complicated!”</p>
<p>Lio hovered out of reach and began furiously combing his hair back in place.</p>
<p>His hands stilled. When he looked back at Galo, he seemed normal, if mildly annoyed. He smiled sarcastically and tossed Galo a peach.</p>
<p>“Eat. Maybe it will appease fate,” he teased.</p>
<p>Galo caught it and gave Lio a stern look. “You should eat, too.”</p>
<p>“I’m not hungry,” Lio crossed his arms.</p>
<p>Galo paused, then shrugged. If he said it, it must be true.</p>
<p>He bit into the peach--whoa, it was seriously delicious, so juicy and sweet and just firm enough--and took Lio’s extended hand.</p>
<p>“Okay, I think I get why you said people here give fruit as gifts,” Galo announced, taking two more bites as they walked forward.</p>
<p>Lio was silent for a few moments, then said, “I’m glad you like it.”</p>
<p>There was nothing in his tone or face or posture to give it away, but Galo just <em> knew </em>. Lio was in pain.</p>
<p>His head swam with the realization. Wait… his head was just swimming, period.</p>
<p>Galo noticed his feet had stopped moving. Either the world was swaying or he was. And Lio was just looking at him. Grim and resigned. There were deeper things in his eyes, but Galo couldn’t focus his enough to make them out.</p>
<p>“Lio…” his voice was weird. Weak. “What did you do?”</p>
<p>Lio caught him as he sank to his knees, and placed a gentle hand against the back of his neck, soothing with soft strokes.</p>
<p>“I’m making sure you’re safe from me.”</p>
<p>That was too honest and too wrong. White-hot panic seared through Galo, clearing his mind enough for a moment to realize that his memory of the past few hours was growing squishy and vague, and to realize that Lio was trying to get rid of him.</p>
<p>“Don’t leave me!” Galo begged, feeling the tears well up in his eyes as he stared at Lio, his fingers clenching in Lio’s shirt.</p>
<p>But Lio was already crying. “It won’t hurt you. You won’t remember any of this.” He ran a hand through Galo’s hair and down the side of his face, tears coming faster as his face crumpled. “I’ll make sure nothing hurts you.”</p>
<p>Why was Lio so blind!? “It’s hurting me <em> now </em> ! It’s hurting <em> you </em> ! It hurts <em> us </em> forever!”</p>
<p>“There is no--” Lio wasn’t able to finish that sentence, so he adjusted. “There <em> can’t </em> be an ‘us’, Galo. I have to be alo--”</p>
<p>“My memories--” Galo cut him off, furiously trying another approach while he still could. “You can’t-- you can’t take them now, <em> I haven’t lost yet </em>!” As he felt his mind dissolving, only one thing became important. He couldn’t let Lio face Kray alone. “It’s not fair!”</p>
<p>This was-- this was like <em> his </em> rules! Kray’s. Isolate, separate, <em> hurt </em>--</p>
<p>“I-- I have full power ov--”</p>
<p>“IT’S NOT FAIR AND YOU KNOW IT!”</p>
<p>He couldn’t let Lio face Kray alone. He couldn’t let Kray do what he wanted with Lio... </p>
<p>“Lio, please…” I <em> also want to protect </em>you. But Galo couldn’t seem to get anymore words out as he began slowly falling forward.</p>
<p>Guilt seized Lio’s face. “You’re right. I shouldn’t just take what isn’t mine.”</p>
<p><em> Please </em>.</p>
<p>“You can have one of my memories, in return.”</p>
<p>
  <em> Wha-- </em>
</p>
<p>“A Faerie party. You wanted to see one.”</p>
<p>
  <em> That’s not even remotely what-- </em>
</p>
<p>“It’s what you wanted.”</p>
<p><em> Lio, you idiot </em>!</p>
<p>His terror reached a fever pitch as Lio dissolved into <em> nothingness </em>. Erased. His grieving, graceful form, all color and light, turned into a pitch black hole before Galo’s eyes, and he couldn’t remember what had been there before. Then gentle fingers were inside his mind, grasping the threads of his memories, and a caressing hand pushed him straight into the darkness. Galo could only fall and fall, watching his own mind unravel with the distance, every stolen memory of Lio leaving its own hole inside him until he was certain he was becoming nothingness, too.</p>
<p>And then, without the light, there was only darkness.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Author’s note:</p>
<p>Earlier in the chapter, with the flagrants, when Galo looks over and realizes Lio totally wants to jump him right then and there, he’s not aware of the reason, but Lio was finding him unbearably HOT for 3 Galo-licious reasons:<br/>1. Galo was supporting and encouraging Lio’s people. HOT.<br/>2. Galo was showing how far he’d come from being judgmental of Fae “creativity” by openly validating and expertly participating in it. He’d grown so much because he listened to and cared about Lio. HOT.<br/>3. Galo was successfully supporting Lio’s play in a way few people ever had. A perfect partner. A perfect King’s companion. HOT.<br/>4. Okay 4 reasons. Galo striking a pose is idiotic and just HOT. Lio wants.</p>
<p>But as you see, Lio doesn’t think he can have. :’(</p>
<p>Galo’s going to make a VERY persuasive case on the matter in the next chapter. Lio. You know you can’t really resist. Especially not when Galo gets you in his arms…</p>
<p>(MAYBE THEY FINALLY REALLY KISS I’M JUST SAYING)</p>
<p>The Fire Gang is from Labyrinth! They’re crazy. https://youtu.be/kiUt5HuW3xc</p>
<p>The peach that steals memories and leads to hallucination is from Labyrinth!</p>
<p>If you’ve seen the movie, you know what that “hallucination” entails… ;) heheee</p>
<p>Fun times.</p>
<p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/akadoreengreene">@akadoreengreene</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. They Positively Glow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: In which memories hurt and a kiss breaks two hearts.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is dedicated to Miranda (@mirzers on Twitter) for kindness and support that stunned me, tbh.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dark.</p>
<p>Falling.</p>
<p>He didn't know why he was falling.</p>
<p>Or why it was so cold.</p>
<p>Dark.</p>
<p>But not completely.</p>
<p>Flickers of light. Strands, glinting.</p>
<p>Beautiful.</p>
<p>And he realized he might never have seen them if it weren't for the darkness.</p>
<p>The darkness didn’t define them. It's just… they were all the more beautiful, shining against this shadow.</p>
<p>He wasn't so cold.</p>
<p>Nor lost in this place.</p>
<p>Maybe he wasn’t falling, but flying.</p>
<p>This light made him believe that.</p>
<p>This light shining for him.</p>
<p>He reached for a strand. He wanted to <em> hold </em>.</p>
<p>He caught it, but it slipped against his fingers, impossible to keep. Yet for a moment he had heard….</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> “Hah, you won't talk so big once I've beaten your Labyrinth, Goblin.” </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> “It's Lio. Lio Fotia. Remember it, Galo Thymos.”</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>LIO. Yes, this light had a name, and it brought with it an ache and an infinite joy. But then--</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> “I don't care what you call yourself. I'm gonna beat your Labyrinth and then no one will remember your name!”</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>A stinging pain as the memory strand sliced against his fingers and he gasped and let go. A strange grief made it hard to breathe. No, no, he needed Lio, he couldn’t let go!</p>
<p>Another flash. Galo turned to it and quickly twined his fingers through the glinting, rushing thread and saw, felt...</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> With a twist, he flipped them over just in time for his own back to slam into the cold, hard weapon and take the falling weight of the King. His head smacked painfully into the top of the Matoi and Galo saw stars. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> When his vision cleared, he still saw them, only this time they were caught in the twilight skies of a pair of otherworldly eyes, framed by gracefully sweeping clouds of long, soft lashes… </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> ...He felt fine hands through soft gloves smooth absentmindedly across his chest as the transcendent face drifted an inch closer, studying something in his own eyes. The brow creased, as if confused at what the gaze uncovered.</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>Yes. He would always remember those eyes, the ones that Claimed him more than any name, that spoke Truth no matter how the world lied. Lio could fill his whole world in an instant.</p>
<p>Galo tried to cling to this strand but it was already tugging away, so he hastily grabbed another...</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> Galo’s heart held its beat suspended for a moment as his eyes landed on an image that condensed the essence of a spring dawn into a single window frame.  </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> Perched between worlds, the Fae figure was looking outward at the far horizon in that first hush of morning... </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>So lovely, his Lio...</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> Overwhelmingly present and yet unreachably far. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> Galo studied his distant expression. It held a tension like it desired to turn wistful but refused to go there. An edge of lingering frost and the promise of warmer possibilities suspended in a neverending inbetween moment.  </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> Galo thought he looked very... alone. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> As if hearing this thought, the morning-bright countenance turned to look at him…</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>Galo drew the tugging strand closer, craving what it showed, and saw that it was connected to several others. He greedily grabbed them all…</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> Galo really liked the way the King’s eyes got a little softer, a little brighter around the edges when silent laughter caught in them. Oh what he would do to set it free...</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>Yes. This. Galo would never stop trying to summon that smile, to release the joy that lived in Lio. He HAD to find a way. He longed to hear…</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> This drew a small huff from the King, the hint of bittersweet laughter. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> “After all, there is only one thing stronger than Fae magic in the world.”</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>YES! That’s what he needed! To keep these fleeing threads. This light. To keep Lio. He needed the strongest thing… Galo clung on to the still-slipping strands with shaking hands, sorting for a clue, desperately trying to think of the answer to that riddle. He didn’t know what the strongest thing was, but the strongest thing he’d ever experienced was the gravity between himself and this wonderful foolish King, pulling them together and igniting them even when they didn’t understand it. There was nothing stronger than the light between them.</p>
<p>A light he couldn't deny because it lived right there in his heart.</p>
<p>And it spilled out. This fire claimed all of him. No matter how he had fought it...</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> “What’s more pretentious than your floofy shirt?” Galo flipped the collar ruffle with a finger, earning himself a satisfying look of outrage. </em>
  </p>
  <p><em> “Why don’t you even </em> wear <em> your shirt?” The King placed a palm on his bare chest and shoved him back hard. But didn’t take his hand away after he’d extended his arm. </em></p>
  <p><em> “Why don’t </em> you <em> go wear your mask again?” Galo asked, frustrated as his eyes kept roaming over the impassioned visage in front of him, unable to focus on anything else or tear away from its effects. </em></p>
  <p>
    <em> That pull got worse as the King brought his mesmerizing features closer again, tilted up towards him as he raised himself slightly on bare toes. “Why do you have a problem with my face?” </em>
  </p>
  <p><em> Galo’s cheeks burned. “Why do you smell </em> so damn good <em> ?” He asked, voice pitched high with a note of desperation. </em></p>
  <p>
    <em> The King’s mouth snapped shut and ruby hues burst across his face as his heels met the floor again. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> And Galo realized he was two seconds away from kissing this fiery beauty.</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>The firelight had been stronger than even his stubborn pride.</p>
<p>It was warm and wonderful and… and sad. He had made it flicker.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> "You really didn't know. What a simpleton." </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> The pity in Lio's gaze stung like a thousand bees. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> "I'm sorry he lied to you worst of all." </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> Galo felt fury twist up from his chest and through his face, giving his voice a rough edge. “You're the liar! You're Fae. Lies are in everything you do! This whole Labyrinth is a lie! Everything is deception and tricks! Your hidden world. Stealing memories. Stupid games. All you Fae are just liars!”</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>The strand turned painfully sharp again as he remembered. The light wanted him to go.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> “The sooner you forget, the better for all of us.” Lio turned away. “I trust you can make your own way out. And then go home and leave ours in peace."</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>Lio wanted him to go, and he couldn’t blame him. </p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> Lio hovered beneath the exit and glanced back over his shoulder. Through his own haze of grief, Galo could see something like regret in those eternally bright eyes as they looked at him one last time. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> "Keep living in denial." </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> Then he was gone. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> But he’d left the hole in the ceiling open for him…</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>He’d taken that one opening offered to him, and… The strands suddenly tightened, the razor-sharp slivers both slicing deeper and escaping faster, the pain mirroring the dread he felt as he remembered what came next.</p>
<p>He almost released the threads.</p>
<p>Almost welcomed the darkness rather than face the pain he had inflicted on Lio again…</p>
<p>But…</p>
<p>But, no…</p>
<p>Then Lio would be alone with it.</p>
<p>He grit his teeth and held on tighter, letting the strands tug him forward, despite the way they cut into him.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> He heard a scream. It echoed from everywhere, slightly muffled but no less potent in its story of pain. He was on his feet in an instant, looking desperately around, trying to find the direction it might be coming from. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> It sounded like nothing he’d ever heard before, and yet he knew who was screaming. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> And he screamed back.</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>He couldn’t just let go and leave. The light would go out.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> The enormous fire dragon moving down the street in front of him was stunning in size, power, and grace of movement. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> It was Lio. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> “He’s crying,” Galo’s voice was a soft ache as he gazed up, devastated by the trails of blue fire that flowed from the dragon’s eyes.</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>Couldn’t let him face it alone.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> They had almost caught up to Dragon Lio, and a fresh wave of horror crashed over Galo. The dragon was wrapped around Foresight tower, directly facing Kray as it gathered a blinding ball of fire in its mouth to attack. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> And Kray was smiling.</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>He couldn't let anything--even the light--push him away.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> “GALO, STAY OUT OF THIS!!” Lio screamed, exploding with that teal-white fire that burned without destroying. The dragon reared up and back, roaring in agitation as it tried to shake him off. Galo clung on for dear life.</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>Couldn’t let Lio push him away because...</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> The fire burned away at his protective coating. He had to be fast, he only had a few seconds before he’d lose his grip with the increasing heat. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> “NO!! LIO, YOU’RE DESTROYING YOURSELF!”</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>Galo wrapped the memory strands around both hands, forcing them to pull him with them as they raced into the darkness. He wasn’t letting go. Because beyond the pain, he had to face up to his mistakes.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> “I summoned him.” </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> Lio blinked once. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> “To the Labyrinth.”  </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> Lio pulled in a ragged breath and pulled back. “You let him in? Into our refuge? After I told you what he--You let him do this?” Lio pressed his fingers to the cloth covering his heart and red began seeping through the fresh bandages.</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>Face up to those mistakes, but not let them defeat him. Because Lio had asked.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> “We have something worth protecting,” Lio all but whispered the words Galo had offered earlier. “We have to find our own way to win.” Lio’s eyes fluttered and he drifted forward a couple of inches, a ferocity entering his eyes, his voice, even as it grew weaker. “Help me take it back. The Underground. The Burnish.” Lio shook his head, a plea for hope clear in his eyes. “Show me your burning soul that never gives up.”</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>Lio had asked. And Galo had promised.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> Lio dropped further forward and Galo pressed his forehead to Lio’s as the faintly glowing eyes closed. “You can count on it,” Galo whispered back. “Through fire and spark, I’ve got your back. I’ll stay with you.”</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>Lio gave light so freely, but…</p>
<p>He needed it, too.</p>
<p>Needed to see something bright in the darkness.</p>
<p>It made him shine even brighter.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> “Aboveground and Underground will work together! We can stop Kray and save everyone!” </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> A strange tremor ran through Lio’s face as he took in Galo’s enthusiasm. One corner of his lips quirked up. Then the spark Galo loved to see caught in his eyes. The fire turned brilliant as it caught in those deep facets, so much color and light. Sent a swoop through Galo’s stomach like a rollercoaster plummet. </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> “Save both the Burnish and the Earth.” He squeezed Galo’s hand back.</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>Because together they were light.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> Galo shot to his feet without releasing Lio’s hand. “We’ll find our own way to win!” </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> Lio stood to face him, shoulders strong and chin high. “We’ll break all their rules and make our own!” Lio leaned further into Galo’s space, infusing a fresh torrent of energy into the Fire Fighter’s racing heart. “Let’s go take back the Labyrinth!”</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>And Galo had promised.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> “In fact--that could be our wildcard,” Lio suggested in a tone that was a touch too casual. “If all else fails, you can win the Labyrinth and gain control of the portal. Keep it closed. As long as you would take care of… everyone. After.”</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>No, not that promise. Stupid Lio. Everyone meant him, too.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> “You can bring healing,” Lio explained. “Saving the Burnish will make this right with me.” </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> Galo wrapped both hands, now restored, around Lio’s. </em>
  </p>
  <p><em> “I won’t stop until we’ve saved </em> everyone <em> !” Galo promised, drawing a step closer.</em></p>
</blockquote><p>It was like those vows Lio had talked about. Two-way. <em> Their </em> promise.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> Lio’s eyes did the soft-bright thing before he quickly turned forward again with an amused huff. “We’re in this together and I know you don’t want any more unintended consequences.” </em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em> “Together,” Galo promised.</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>They had promised. And now Lio was setting up unintended consequences all over the place, like trails of gasoline.</p>
<p>Well, Galo wasn’t a Fire Fighter for nothing. It was his job to protect what was important from those runaway blazes.</p>
<p>Fight fire with fire. Galo tugged <em> back </em> on the threads, and suddenly he was zooming ahead, getting tangled in them. These memories of their light. Their fire.</p>
<p>Visions flew through his mind like sparks on a wind. The beautiful bond between Lio and his people. Lio sharing his fire with them. With him. Finally smiling. Laughing. Arguing. Infusing life in this home. Lighting the moon. Filling Galo's arms. Filling his heart.</p>
<p>His Lio.</p>
<p>The thought echoed, drew the strands together, and then he could see… they came from inside him. And they led to…</p>
<p>Lio.</p>
<p>...a single point of light. A star within a perfectly round crystal. And that crystal was sitting in Lio’s palm. He was staring at it, expression desolate.</p>
<p>“Lio…” Galo breathed it like a prayer and watched him shiver.</p>
<p>Without looking at him, Lio spoke quietly. “In exchange.”</p>
<p>Lio closed his eyes and Galo himself was sucked into the crystal. The threads surrounded him, loose, but fully his within this sphere. For a moment, he was whole again.</p>
<p>A new thread formed, unfamiliar, and wrapped around him, and everything grew too bright. A final flash, and he had form again. Weight. He could hear, smell, see...</p>
<p>He blinked his eyes frantically to clear his vision, looking for Lio, and then froze. His jaw hit the floor.</p>
<p>There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of people around him. People? They were otherworldly. About a third could have passed for human, except their movements were fluid beyond what mere muscles and sinew could manage, every shape of their bodies either more angular or more smoothly curved than what was natural on a human. Ears and lashes and fingertips tapered to wisps, and everyone was glowing with their own kind of inner colors. However, the further his eye drew towards the edges of the crowd, the more non-humanoid people he saw. Massive, tiny; lumpy, frail; furred, and bare. Many of the variety would have made the Fire Gang flagrants look positively unremarkable. The majority of the people were clothed in similar materials of cobweb-light silver, slight variations in color giving the scene an iridescent sheen. And everyone was wearing a mask. Some were barely there, some covered whole faces, ranging from delicate beauty to gruesome grimaces. The humanoid Fae seemed to be the equivalent of aristocracy, from what he could see of the interactions around him.</p>
<p>It was hard to gauge the size of the crowd or the chamber, since the entire round cave-like space was encased in mirrors. Fae were coming and going through the reflective walls, like the room was an ever changing portal. The mirrors never reflected anything but the room and the people traveling through them, but each time someone did, an area in front of it would briefly change--woods, furnished rooms, grassy knolls, a lake, there and then gone in a heartbeat.</p>
<p>The soft brightness of the people and wandering flares of fluorescent fire combined, caught in strings of cut gemstones embedded and draped from the ceiling. They condensed and flashed the colors back, scattering shattered prisms to drift across everything and reflect back from the walls.</p>
<p>This was the Fae Court in all its brilliance.</p>
<p>It was stunning and incredibly disorienting. Galo’s mind swam from the memory stealing spell and the vertigo of the room. He distantly noted that he seemed to be wearing clothes similar to the surrounding Fae and glowing teal-white. But no mask.</p>
<p>
  <em> “You can have one of my memories, in return.” </em>
</p>
<p>He needed to find Lio.</p>
<p>He could still feel the sting in his hands, and it buried an ache deep in his chest.</p>
<p>Galo grit his teeth and tried to focus as he scanned the crowd. If this was Lio’s memory, he had to be here. And he was just <em> too stupid </em> to leave alone. Without his firefighting idiot.</p>
<p>Galo began walking through the crowd in the direction he thought might be the center of the space. He heard all the people around him speaking but they were muted to odd murmurs. Until suddenly he began to make out words.</p>
<p>“The Queen is majestic as always tonight.”</p>
<p>Galo raised his brows and glanced around. Sure enough, there was a raised platform he was now close enough to glimpse over the shining, cloud-soft heads of the crowd. Ah! She <em> was </em> there, and she looked as unapproachably glorious as he remembered. To her left and right were what looked like Very Important People, their robes intricate with a chaotic kind of ceremony and meaning, faces young but eyes ancient. Galo sincerely hoped he never had to meet them.</p>
<p>“Is that Danna?”</p>
<p>Galo quickly turned in the direction of the voice he could understand, and picked out a Fae lady as she continued. “It<em> is </em> him.”</p>
<p>She was looking to the side, and as Galo followed her gaze, he couldn’t help but stiffen. She was looking at a one-armed Fae lord 50 feet away. Like a pillar, he towered over most others and stood squarely in their midst, unmoving, forcing everyone to move around him. Pulling every eye in the room to him, though everyone seemed to be trying not to look. He immediately struck Galo as familiar, but Galo was pretty sure he would have remembered meeting a powerfully-built one-armed 8-foot Fae with fluorescent fire for hair. He was clothed in pure white, and every color of the people seemed to roll off him, the chromatic shards of light from the gems above quickly glancing away if they happened to touch him. Other than his missing limb, he was perfect in appearance and menacing in stillness. His mask only covered his eyes, but it covered them completely, black glass or crystal ensuring his gaze went only one way.</p>
<p>“I can’t believe he showed up,” the lady’s tone was worried.</p>
<p>A small Fae boy whose head came halfway up her thigh clung to her skirt and looked up. “Why?”</p>
<p>The lady placed a reassuring hand on his head as she explained, “His presence here is a challenge to the Queen.”</p>
<p>A girl, seemingly no longer a child but still a ways from womanhood, stood beside them and asked in eager fascination. “So it’s true? She took his arm?”</p>
<p>The lady gave a sharp look at her gruesome interest but answered. “He killed humans with his fire.”</p>
<p>“Sometimes that happens…” The girl seemed unconcerned. </p>
<p>The lady’s tone became chiding. “No game or binding or anything. That’s against the rules.”</p>
<p>“She was already angry with him,” a Fae lord who stood behind them spoke in a tone of superiority that immediately annoyed Galo. “He gave her son a dark prophecy.”</p>
<p>“What does that mean?” The boy asked up at the lord in easy familiarity, and Galo realized he was probably looking at a family. Though how long Fae took to age up, he didn’t know. </p>
<p>The girl jumped in with a know-it-all tone. “It means something bad is going to happen and there’s nothing you can do about it.”</p>
<p>The boy looked confused. “But isn’t it good to know whether something bad is going to happen?”</p>
<p>The girl gave him a disparaging eye and snapped, “Not if you can’t do anything about it, stupid.”</p>
<p>At the same time the lady said in gentler disapproval, “You have not been paying attention to your lessons if you think so.”</p>
<p>The girl and lady looked at each other in the temporary silence after the clash of words. The lady’s face became stern.</p>
<p>The girl cleared her throat and in a tone part contrition part defiance, recited, “Fear of a foretelling is worse than fulfillment.”</p>
<p>The boy seemed to consider this, and frowned. “I feel sorry for Prince Lio.”</p>
<p>Galo sucked in a breath and tried to think through the sudden spinning in his head. Lio. Were they talking about <em> his </em> Lio? That meant--</p>
<p>Shocked, Galo’s eyes snapped back to the remote Faerie Queen. Who had reminded him of Lio the first time he met her... </p>
<p>...as he made a wish that almost destroyed the isolated King…</p>
<p>Holy…</p>
<p>Galo's heart twisted sharply as he remembered Lio's pained reaction to the news of her involvement. Certain she had intended for his harm.</p>
<p>Galo barely registered the boy’s next words. “Can I invite him to my Name Day party next week?”</p>
<p>The lady beamed down at him. “That is kind of you, Tavi, but--”</p>
<p>The lord’s tone snapped like ice. “We won't extend Hospitality to the Home Breaker.”</p>
<p>His voice held a vicious disdain, and Galo felt like he had been punched. <em> Home Breaker </em>?! What a cruel name… the ache in Galo’s heart deepened.</p>
<p>He remembered. His own accusations towards the “Goblin” who had “stolen” (<em> saved </em> ) his family.  Galo had used different words, but… <em> Home Breaker </em>.</p>
<p>The girl stepped a little closer to the lord and kept her eyes on him while addressing her brother. “Don’t waste your pity, Tav. I think Danna was right, it's fitting for the half-breed to receive a curse for a prophecy.”</p>
<p>Galo flinched and the ache spread through his whole chest.</p>
<p>“A <em> curse </em>?” Tavi looked at her in wide-eyed horror. “It can’t be that bad.”</p>
<p>The girl leaned down and whispered so quietly, Galo would have missed it if he hadn’t moved closer. “You will break the home you build, through love you will lose all.”</p>
<p>Galo didn’t hear anything else they said for a full minute as the ache filled his ears with painful, crashing heartbeats.</p>
<p>Oh <em> hell </em>.</p>
<p>Everything snapped into horrific focus.</p>
<p><em> That’s </em> what Lio believed.</p>
<p>No <em> wonder </em> he was terrified. His heart was his strength and with 13 words it had been turned into his greatest fear.</p>
<p>Galo sucked in several trembling breaths, trying not to cry, to rage, as every twist of pain in Lio’s face flashed back through his unraveling memory.</p>
<p>He held his breath for a moment as he jerked his head to glare in fury at the towering Fae known as Danna.</p>
<p>Then he began looking frantically around.</p>
<p>He needed to find Lio. He needed to hold him. He needed to hold him and not let go.</p>
<p><em> Lio </em> … his heart mourned as he scanned far out into the crowd for any glimpse of a feature that might reveal one of the masked revelers as <em> his </em> light.</p>
<p>As he spun around, the words of the girl and the father she was trying to impress pierced through the haze.</p>
<p>“He's too human, he'd bore us with his company anyway,” the girl’s sardonic amusement made Galo mentally curse. Especially as he realized his own words about the Fae, Lio’s other half, had once paralleled them.</p>
<p>“He <em> collects </em> mutts,” the lord stated as if it were obvious evidence supporting the girl’s assertion.</p>
<p>She smiled and shrugged. “When you’re desperate…”</p>
<p>Galo tried not to listen, tried not to think too hard about what Lio must have had to endure from his own people--damn, and humans had been no better--he just needed to <em> find </em> him, hold him… <em> It’s not true, none of this is true, Lio. </em>..</p>
<p>The boy’s voice was quiet, but it seemed louder than the rest to Galo. “I feel sorry for him. He didn't choose to be born that way.” </p>
<p>Misguided pity, as if it was an accepted truth that there was something inherently <em> wrong </em> with Lio. Galo’s stomach churned and he wanted to punch something.</p>
<p>“Then why don't you go talk to him?” his sister sneered. She pushed him a little away from their mother. “You can join him.”</p>
<p>“Noooo!” The boy immediately wailed, pressing even more into his mother.</p>
<p>“Exactly,” The girl crossed her arms.</p>
<p>The lady gave the girl a severe look, then bent down to talk to the boy on his level, tenderly holding his small hands. “You are kind, Tavi, but we must be wise. If we let him make his home <em> here </em>, he will destroy us all.”</p>
<p>No. <em> No </em>.</p>
<p>Galo clenched his hair. He was intensely grateful Lio wasn’t here to hear this. But he needed to find--</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>Wait.</p>
<p>
  <em> ...roses... </em>
</p>
<p>This was a <em> memory </em>.</p>
<p>If these words were here… Lio had definitely heard them. And remembered. With crystal clarity.</p>
<p>Galo’s arms dropped and his stomach plummeted.</p>
<p>And then he saw them. Those ears that drove him crazy. Peeking from behind a gruesome mask, strands of pale spring green held back by a spiked hair piece to ensure the ears were fully visible. Their slightly more human contours standing in solitary defiance to the wispier points surrounding him.</p>
<p>He looked terribly elegant, dressed in contrasting black with a dusting of glinting gemstones across his coat shoulders. He stood as still as the towering lord, but everyone seemed to drift around him, see through him, as if he wasn’t there.</p>
<p>Galo took an urgent step towards him, but the crowd burst into movement as if on some hidden cue. A swell of ringing, soaring music filled the space, and Galo realized only the Fae aristocracy remained. They flowed towards the center of the room, feet beginning to find the patterns of a dance.</p>
<p>Lio turned the other direction and began walking towards the mirrors at the edge, only his reflection drawing nearer.</p>
<p>Galo ran.</p>
<p>He jostled a few people along the way, but didn’t slow until his fingers were wrapped around Lio’s wrist, halting him.</p>
<p>Lio spun around startled, feet shifting into a combat stance, then he froze. Slowly lowered the stick holding up his mask.</p>
<p>Those <em> eyes </em> that could undo Galo in an instant...</p>
<p>“Galo?” Lio seemed genuinely puzzled and glanced back out at the crowd.</p>
<p>There was too much jumbled up inside Galo, and he wanted to yell as much as he wanted to whisper soothingly.</p>
<p>But mostly he wanted to cherish.</p>
<p>So he drew his hand from Lio’s wrist to his palm and wrapped it securely around. “Let’s dance.”</p>
<p>Lio just stared at him. He grew pink as his eyes traveled over Galo, lips parting.</p>
<p>Roses enveloped them.</p>
<p>Huh.</p>
<p>Guess the new outfit was good, even if it was a little more formal than he was used to.</p>
<p>Galo turned and began leading him back towards the center dancefloor.</p>
<p>“How <em> do </em> I look?” Galo couldn’t help grinning softly at him.</p>
<p>Lio flushed darker and glanced away and Galo just soaked in the sight. Lio, so beautiful and regal and supernaturally perfect, blushing because he thought <em> Galo </em> was appealing. Out of a room of objectively exquisite people. Delightful contradiction once more.</p>
<p><em> You can have me. Let me keep you </em>.</p>
<p>When they reached the outer couples gliding by, Lio gracefully stepped forward, planted a hand on Galo’s waist, and merged them in as Galo placed his free hand on Lio’s shoulder. As if they were one, Lio effortlessly moved both their bodies in the steps of an intricate dance Galo couldn’t even begin to understand. Smooth but wild, switching from slow to energetic on signals Galo didn’t pick up on at all. Despite Galo’s ignorance, Lio somehow made sure his feet didn’t falter even once. It was the realest magic Galo had ever experienced. He let go and enjoyed the way Lio’s strong arms and certain movements let them flow across the floor, the exhilaration of music and motion binding them together as one.</p>
<p><em> This is how we are meant to be </em>.</p>
<p>See? The truth was so clear in Galo’s mind. It really wasn’t complicated. But now Galo also had a very clear understanding about why Lio was convinced it was.</p>
<p>He needed to un-convince him.</p>
<p>“How did you know it was me?” Lio finally looked up at him.</p>
<p>Galo raised a brow. “I’ve gotten used to looking at your back.”</p>
<p>Lio was silent as his eyes broke the connection.</p>
<p>Galo continued softly, “And you were the only one alone.”</p>
<p>Lio’s face tightened ever so slightly. “I chose to be.”</p>
<p><em> Chose </em>.</p>
<p>Galo felt a flare of anger at the lie Lio had been given. Had taken as his own Truth.</p>
<p><em> No, Lio. You literally chose the opposite in every way you could </em>.</p>
<p>“Well then…” Galo’s tone was firm, “I choose to be alone <em> with </em> you.” For a brief moment, Galo took control of their movements, twirling them in a swooping spin that made Lio gasp, before letting Lio get their steps back in sync with the other dancers.</p>
<p>Lio laughed softly, like he was trying to keep it secret, as a twinkle jumped into his eyes, surprised, breathless, amused, and then ultimately sad. “Didn’t you want to <em> enjoy </em> a Fae party? You won’t get that spending time with me. You should dance with the others.” He tilted his head slightly up at Galo, gaze earnest, like he genuinely wanted to inform and reassure. “This memory will allow it. I left it flexible for you.”</p>
<p>Lio was so stupid. If he was the one with magic, why did Galo always have to <em> spell </em> everything out.</p>
<p>Galo intentionally messed up the next few steps so Lio was thrown off from his mindless motions.</p>
<p>“I’m happy to forget <em> them </em> ,” he said flatly. “I really like <em> your </em> company.”</p>
<p>Keeping his sentences reeeeeeaallly simple.</p>
<p>Lio pursed his lips as he dropped his eyes slightly and a deeper color stained his cheeks.</p>
<p>“You’re drugged. Too much peach juice.”</p>
<p>“Pfft, I think I’m being pretty subtle compared to yesterday.”</p>
<p>Lio’s laughter jumped out and went on a merry romp, and Galo joined him as the dance picked up again. There was movement and spectacle all around him, but Galo didn’t pay attention. He was holding the only thing here that was real.</p>
<p>Then the dance slowed again, and Galo dropped both hands and smoothed them around Lio’s waist, pulling him closer as Lio instinctively reached up and wound his fingers behind Galo’s neck. Galo didn’t check to see if this was how they were supposed to be dancing at the moment. It was just going to be the way they did.</p>
<p>“You’re beautiful, y’know,” Galo said sincerely. “All of you.” Lio looked up at him, and pressed his lips together as his eyes grew shiny. Galo continued, “Strong and warm. Especially here.” Galo wound his arms fully around Lio, pressing their chests together so they could feel their heartbeats talking to each other. Their dancing slowed almost to a stop.</p>
<p>Lio rested his forehead just below Galo’s chin for a moment, then tightened his arms around Galo’s neck and turned his face to the side, resting his cheek on Galo’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“You won't remember any of this later anyway,” Lio whispered.</p>
<p>“I won't forget. I promise.” Galo pressed his fingers into Lio’s shoulders as he held him even tighter. Never going to let go. “I could never forget you.”</p>
<p>
  
</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>Image artist @Asticou14</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>“That's not how this works.”</p>
<p>Galo sighed in frustration. “Why do you have to mess with memories so much?”</p>
<p>“Lots of reasons. Separation is necessary sometimes. This makes it less painful.” Lio answered honestly and simply, like nothing he told Galo mattered anyway.</p>
<p>Galo was quiet as a great <em> deal </em> of pain made it difficult to breathe.</p>
<p>“Are you going to erase me from <em> your </em> memories?” Galo asked just above a whisper, tone mournful.</p>
<p>Lio grew still at the idea. Then he released a small, hurt whine. “<em> No </em> .” It sounded like he was begging. “I have… I have to have <em> something </em> left after I give up everything else. I can’t live with truly nothing at all. It can’t… it can’t take my memories, too.”</p>
<p>Galo hated this. He was angry.</p>
<p>Take, break, lose…</p>
<p>That wasn’t Galo’s way.</p>
<p>Screw fate and Fae magic, Galo Thymos was going to <em> make </em> a memory.</p>
<p>He didn’t care about the steps to the Faeries’ dance. As the music began to pick up again, he claimed the lead and made up his own. With Lio as his inspiration.</p>
<p>Everyone else around them could just make way.</p>
<p>Lio gave him a bewildered look, but didn’t resist as Galo tugged him forward. Lio made his heart race, so he made their feet do the same, until Lio was grinning up at him. He constantly felt like he was soaring when Lio smiled, so he lifted him high and let him fly as they spun and landed, until Lio laughed. That joyful laughter set his mind spinning, so he twirled Lio energetically through several skipping steps, until Lio tilted his head back, eyes closed, smiling at the rush. Then he opened them, and there was a deeper glow within. Whenever Lio looked at him with that heat in his eyes, well… Galo dipped Lio low and slow, a fire igniting inside at his graceful arch, the slender neck exposed and beckoning. He pulled Lio’s body back flush against his own. Moved in a more sensuous series of slower, swooping twirls, until Lio was breathless.</p>
<p>In one song, he took Lio on a journey, their story told in movement. Creating joy to fuel that inner fire higher until Lio could forget all about the phantoms around them and the steps of their rigid dance, the steps he thought he had to take, and see only the one who loved him.</p>
<p>The music had slowed again, and Galo held Lio as close as he could while still looking in his face. It was flushed and windswept and perfect.</p>
<p>“I remember everything,” Galo began in a confident tone.</p>
<p>Lio quirked a brow.</p>
<p>“I remember when you kidnapped me.”</p>
<p>“You have a poor memory. I believe <em> you </em> were the one who invited yourself over to <em> my </em> place,” Lio smirked.</p>
<p>Galo grinned. “I remember when you stalked me--”</p>
<p>“I was protecting my people. Crashing through the Labyrinth, you were a liability to everyone around you--”</p>
<p>“--Especially when bathing.”</p>
<p>Lio just pursed his lips and looked unapologetic, but a stripe of pink deepened below pale lashes.</p>
<p>“I remember when you took me to your castle and made out with me while I was asleep.”</p>
<p>“Pfft. That’s when you were at your best, unconscious. As soon as you woke up, you started insulting me.”</p>
<p>Galo openly laughed, remembering how confused he’d been in that moment, staring Lio down, realizing he’d rather be kissing his “enemy” than fighting him. The sheer stupidity of his insults should have tipped him off that there was something other than animosity creating the heat between them.</p>
<p>He smiled fondly at Lio as he admitted, “I actually <em> like </em> your floofy shirts.”</p>
<p>Leather told a compelling story, but the way soft cotton rippled and moved with Lio’s energy just highlighted the elegant form underneath.</p>
<p>“I like when you don’t wear one.” Lio’s lips eased into a sultry curve. His gaze was bold through slightly lowered lashes. His blush was bright and blooming further. Adorable and inexcusably sexy.</p>
<p>“<em> Damn </em> ,” Galo whispered, his shirt suddenly felt too tight and too hot with Lio’s face looking like that. “I <em> don’t </em>want you to wear a mask,” he said with extra emphasis, remembering that particularly stupid insult.</p>
<p>Lio looked searchingly into his eyes, and Galo let him. He had nothing to hide. “For some reason… I wanted you, at least, to see me.” Lio dropped his gaze as his voice carried heartfelt sincerity. “And… you did.”</p>
<p>Galo gathered him closer and pressed his lips into Lio’s hair. Just breathed in the moment and the feel of Lio.</p>
<p>“You really do smell <em> so </em> good.”</p>
<p>He drew in another deep breath of roses, tried to pull in as much as possible as he leaned down and nuzzled the side of Lio’s face to raise it again, tilting it to the side and brushing his lips along the exposed jaw line. The scent gained depth, layers...</p>
<p>“I wish…” Lio’s whisper trembled.</p>
<p>Then the scent Galo was pulling in gained a will of its own. It expanded, wove deeper into him, and pulled<em> back </em>. Low inside his body. Fluid desire flooded back up through him and he gasped softly against Lio’s cheek.</p>
<p>“I wish…” Lio’s voice was a low tidal wave now, pulling the flood within Galo even farther. He dropped his face to Lio’s shoulder and leaned into him, shuddering, floating in the ebb and flow of the intense new feeling.</p>
<p>Lio rested his hand on the back of Galo’s neck for a moment. Completely melted against him. Then he tensed.</p>
<p>“...No! I <em> don’t </em>.” Lio’s voice agonized as he pulled back. “You should be safe and free.”</p>
<p>And just like that heaven was gone. The roses had vanished.</p>
<p>It took several moments after Galo lifted his face before he actually processed Lio’s words. But they simply cast him further into disbelief.</p>
<p>“I should be where I belong.” This was obvious. Lio was home. But he could see the farewell now in Lio’s eyes. His fingers tightened, grasping Lio’s coat. “Stay with me.”</p>
<p>“You don’t belong here.” Lio’s gaze dropped and he stared blankly forward. “And I don’t belong anywhere.”</p>
<p>Galo shook his head and very gently lifted Lio’s chin with his fingers. The frozen blankness in Lio’s eyes began melting as they caught the look in Galo’s. Pooled into hesitant hope edged with fear. Galo leaned an inch closer. How could he strengthen that tentative flicker into a certain flame?</p>
<p>“Faeries shouldn’t lie.” Galo’s hand skimmed across Lio’s lower back, arm pulled him closer again. Lio’s lips parted as he took in a quick breath. “These,” Galo’s thumb stroked over satin lips, “Should be used for much sweeter things.”</p>
<p>
  
</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>Image artist @ShioriAkaitsuki</em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>Galo didn’t notice either of them moving, but as their soul gaze seared its way straight into the core of his being, laying a trail, he realized they were somehow only a couple inches apart. Too close to mistake the intention of their proximity. And yet Lio wasn’t pulling away.</p>
<p>An inch.</p>
<p>Half an inch. Galo’s eyes slipped closed.</p>
<p>The last breath of space between them vanished.</p>
<p>The touch of Lio’s lips broke over him in a wave of joyous heat. He was aware of nothing but the place where he was joined with Lio, so soft and strong, setting off a fire that flashed along the trail Lio had blazed through his soul, like a lit fuse, until it burst into a glorious nova in his very center. Flooded him with light in a thousand colors. His heart skipped around erratically in radiant triumph as Lio’s responding push locked their mouths deeper, a strong arm wound around his neck as if to seal in the connection.</p>
<p>Galo had meant for it to be a careful, tender gesture, expected a slow warm up to put Lio at ease with the intimacy. Maybe follow it up with a second kiss that would linger a little longer.</p>
<p>He really was such a fool.</p>
<p>There had been too much kindling for anything but a raging bonfire. And Lio pressed into him, a master of fire. He had no trouble convincing Galo of his status as red hot lips parted and exposed Galo to the true inferno within.</p>
<p>Lio was magic itself, was fire, was life engulfing him in its wild jubilation, every tongue stroke pulling a muted cry from Galo’s throat. Lio was taking everything he could and Galo just wanted him to take more.</p>
<p>Lio’s mouth was everything sweet and spicy… until Galo tasted salt. Felt the lips tremble as they pulled back for a moment. Heard the choked sob. Opening dazed eyes, Galo felt like the ground had vanished as he saw the near frantic grief in Lio’s face, the stream of tears faintly glowing with his signature colors as if bleeding from his soul itself.</p>
<p>Then Lio jerked back and suddenly they were on the edge of the chamber and Lio was on the other side of the mirror. Surrounded by flowing swirls of Galo’s memories, strands mixing with his tears.</p>
<p>He was leaving.</p>
<p>“NO!” Galo screamed as he pounded against the glass.</p>
<p>But the mirror grew dim and everything within it faded.</p>
<p>And Lio was gone. In every way. Galo could feel the last threads of recollection unraveling, even the forlorn springtime face, the eyes that spoke in twilight colors.</p>
<p>Galo screamed in agony and punched the glass with all his strength.</p>
<p>The mirrors shattered, splintered into his heart, and he knew no more.</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>Lio gazed into the crystal in his hand, watching the last memories fade. Then he let the orb fizzle out of existence.</p>
<p>“What you don't remember can't hurt you.”</p>
<p>The words felt as hollow as the massive tree Lio had gently laid Galo inside.</p>
<p>He was sleeping, but he didn’t seem peaceful. He would, though. Once all was done.</p>
<p>Lio’s fingers clenched hard at the front of his shirt, trying to will away the sharp throbbing beneath.</p>
<p>This is the last time he’d see Galo Thymos.</p>
<p>Lio tried to take a deep breath, but choked halfway.</p>
<p>He had looked so beautiful clothed in moonglow, brighter than the shards of color, gaze and movement and tones and touch sweeping Lio into exhilarating moments that overpowered all others. He could forget himself in Galo. Until there was only light.</p>
<p>That light was gone.</p>
<p>Something in Lio was dying.</p>
<p>His fire felt so far away.</p>
<p>He reached out a hand. It was gray again, shaking.</p>
<p>Traced ashen fingers from temple to cheek.</p>
<p>“Just one more kiss…”</p>
<p>He dropped to his knees beside Galo. Leaned forward. But stopped at the last second when he realized what he was doing.</p>
<p>He laughed as salty drops dripped down to land on Galo’s cheeks. “No. Can’t wake you up.”</p>
<p>Lio closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Galo’s. “Fate can't have you,” he whispered ferociously. “I'm making my own rules.”</p>
<p>Lio didn’t open his eyes until he’d stood and turned away. He waved a hand and heard the tree’s wood creak as it folded closed, protecting the slumbering challenger.</p>
<p>Tomorrow was day 13. When Galo officially lost, he’d wake up back home, no memories of Fae to disturb him.</p>
<p>“Be happy.”</p>
<p>Lio laughed as he walked away. Leaves from the trees above fell as fast as his tears.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*****</p>
<p>Author’s note:</p>
<p>The next chapter is the one we’ve all been waiting for. :)</p>
<p>Get ready for the heat.</p>
<p>Ohhhhh boy, the art in this chapter. T_T Go follow @Asticou14 and @ShioriAkaitsuki on Twitter or you’re missing out.</p>
<p>I’m occasionally skulking about there as well, @akadoreengreene.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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